Archibald Grant - Suttie

[gazfromnuneaton]

Hi all.

Just got back from a week in a holiday cottage in Alnmouth.

There was a WW1 room in it ! I attach 2 photos for your amusement - the first a soldier, the second a Russian greeting.

http://s817.photobuc...mview=slideshow

Here lies the mystery. In the cottage guidebook, it says "A.G.Surtees from Coldstream died a few days before the end of the war aged 19 (assume 1st World War).

Cannot find him on CWGC. Help !!!!

[Peter J]

Found the MIC of an A B Surtees - Northumberland Fusiliers. Presume the 'Coldstream' reference alludes to the place rather than the regiment?

Cheers,

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

Contender???CWGC Link Grant~Suttie???

Anyone have a roll of casualties from the Coldstream Village/Town Memorial??

WFA Link Coldstream Memorial

[Peter J]

died a few days before the end of the war

The last SDGW 'Surtees' death is shown as 31 Mar 1918. Wrong initials though (W D) and still not late enough.

[headgardener]

If we're going to really 'stretch the envelope', then THIS A.G. Surtees has to be a contender. Close to being 19, close to Coldstream, nowhere near the end of the war though........

Why are you thinking that he's from WW1?

[Peter J]

Here we go ... sort of.

[IPT]

There are pension records for 4961 Sgt Charles Webb, and he was indeed a POW in Germany.

(the one on the Russian greeting. Keep up, chaps)

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

I was assuming he was the Officer whose portrait is on your link?? which does look to be WW1

[IPT]

I was assuming he was the Officer whose portrait is on your link?? which does look to be WW1

I thought that too until I realised that there were three different subjects within the post.

There's a lot going on in these cottages.

[gazfromnuneaton]

Thanx for all your replies - I assume he's WW1 because of the picture of the painting. It was about 4 feet high, so assume he comes from a rich Northumberland family. Any uniform experts? Grant-Suttie looks favourite so far.

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

Though Grant~Suttie's DoD is much earlier ,I would hazard that hearsay has amended his actual date of death from legend as "Being near the end of the war".

Commission Link LG

Relinquishes Commission LG

Memo To RFC Since KiA LG

Further Commission Acting Rank

[headgardener]

Though Grant~Suttie's DoD is much earlier ,I would hazard that hearsay has amended his actual date of death from legend as "Being near the end of the war".

Commission Link LG

Relinquishes Commission LG

Memo To RFC Since KiA LG

Further Commission Acting Rank

Harry,

I doff my cap to you; I'm certain you've cracked this one.

I've just had another look at the portrait, he's wearing a red triangle on his upper sleeve, which is the Divisional badge of 29th Div. And part of the Divisional artillery was....... 15th Bde, RHA.

He's obviously a branch of a well-established land-owning family (a quick Google of the name brings up members of the peerage, etc) so he's bound to have been to a 'good' school - maybe Dick Flory will have him listed on his school rolls of honour thread (he's particularly interested in RA officers, I believe), maybe a photo too, perhaps....?

Edit; but I really loved Peter's attempt at ID-ing him............!

[battiscombe]

Archibald Grant-Suttie was a young RFA/RHA officer killed in 1917 .. serving with L Battery 15th Bde RHA, the portrait looks to be an artillery officer WWI with trench mortar patch -- another Grant-Suttie commanded 48th Battery RFA in 1916 I seem to remember

[gazfromnuneaton]

So this is what we know so far:

Archibald Ronald Grant-Suttie (b.20/10/1896), serving with L Battery 15th Bde RHA, killled in action at Paschendale 23/7/1917 is the son of Robert Grant-Suttie (1841-1933) and the Hon Edith Mary Dawnay (m 2/2/1884). I am now 99.99% sure he is the chap in the painting.

Still more to find though chaps:

1) A photo of his war grave

2) any war memorials with his name on (came from Berwickshire, probably near Coldstream???)

3) any obituaries

Many thanx,

Garry

[headgardener]

So this is what we know so far:

Archibald Ronald Grant-Suttie (b.20/10/1896), serving with L Battery 15th Bde RHA, killled in action at Paschendale 23/7/1917 is the son of Robert Grant-Suttie (1841-1933) and the Hon Edith Mary Dawnay (m 2/2/1884). I am now 99.99% sure he is the chap in the painting.

Still more to find though chaps:

1) A photo of his war grave

2) any war memorials with his name on (came from Berwickshire, probably near Coldstream???)

3) any obituaries

Try posting on Dick Flory's thread, I understand that he has indexed all the RA officers on his collection of school and university rolls. This guy is bound to have gone to a good school.

[apwright]

de Ruvigny's:

Face looks similar. Same collar dogs.

Adrian

[gazfromnuneaton]

de Ruvigny's:

Face looks similar. Same collar dogs.

Adrian

Brill !!!

One reason the portrait might have been in the cottage at Alnmouth was that they were built in 1860 by the Duke of Northumberland as holiday villas for the Northumberland elite - maybe the Suttie's lived there once? Just a guess.

Mystery solved, thanx to all. Any more info still welcome.

Garry

[Martin Bennitt]

The only quibble I have is that NorthBerwick, as opposed to Berwick-on-Tweed, is really nowhere near Coldstream, but east of Edinburgh, on the south side of the Firth of Forth. It's not even in Berwickshire, but East Lothian.

cheers Martin B

[gazfromnuneaton]

Thanx to Steven Vandenbussche of the Passchendale Memorial Museum I can maybe provide details of Archibald's death.

"On the 15th July the 15th Brigade moved into action near Elverdinghe. Forward wagon lines were near Woesten (both places slightly north of Poperinghe)."

"The preliminary bombardment commenced on thr 15th and during the next few days the brigades had their first experience of mustard gas. On the 23rd there were 40 casualties...as a result of this gas."

"wounded 22/3/1917, subsequently died of wounds 23/3/1917" - so one assumes he was one of those mustard gas victims.

(Extracted from the 29th Div Artillery War Record and Honours Book 1915-1918 by Lt-Col R M Johnson)

As we know, Suttie is buried in nearby Dozinghem Miliitary Cemetery, Poperinghe.

[sheldrake]

Adding to this zombie thread.

 

Archibald Grant Suttie was not just in  B Battery RHA on the Somme, but went over the top with 16 Middlesex at the Hawthorn Redoubt as one of two Brigade FOOs.  The other was with the Lancashire Fusiliers at the sunken road.  Two of Grant Suttie's party were killed and one wounded.