William Albert Sutton

[Philip Sutton]

Hi,

Has anyone got any details of William Albert Sutton my grandfather s/n 56955 who served with the West Yorkshire Regiment and was taken POW 21.03.1918 at Morchies during the German Spring Offensive

or has any personal accounts or pictures around this time

[alanmackie]

Hi Philip

From his MIC he was also RASC M/411349.

Awarded Victory and British medals, no other details I cannot see a service record for him.

Dental

[Philip Sutton]

Hi, Thanks.........................I'll try and find a P.O.W. record for William

I believe his Commanding Officer was Leut. Colonel A M Boyall and that the West Yorkshires 'held' all day on the 21.03.18

Once again my thanks

[Verrico2009]

From his MIC he was also RASC M/411349.

In that case, you're in luck Philip. Still trying to work it out (there's a page for a Sapper included), after 5 or 6 pages this set of records turns into the RASC M/411349 group.

Name: William Albert Sutton

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1894

Age at enlistment: 21

Residence: Oak Cottages, Gertrude Rd, Belvedere

Document Year: 1915

Regimental Number: 22266

Regiment Name: Gen Ser

Just trolling through now to see how much information there is.

"No4 MT Depot No1 Coy" Address on his 1919 statement as to disability gives his address as Belvedere, so presumably all the same man.

[Chris Noble]

Hello Philip.

I presume you are familiar as regards the circumstances surrounding his capture. Quite a complex action that the War Diary doesn't shed too much light on as most of the men were killed or captured.

If i can be of any help just ask away.

Best wishes.

Chris.

[Philip Sutton]

That's absolutely brilliant, he is the same man.

Is there any way I can have copies of these documents, as trying to trace his POW record etc

Many many thanks

[Verrico2009]

Perhaps someone can make some sense of this - some water and other damage:

Enlisted 11.12.15. Service reckons from 16.4.17. 6th Res Cav Regt crossed out 5th Battn also crossed out [rest illegible]

Posted No 6 Cavalry Depot 21.4.17

Trans 5th West Yorks Regt Edwinstowe 5.9.17

Joined 33rd IBD Posted to 2/7 Bn West Yorkshire Regiment 2[?] October 1917

Posted to 1 Bn West Yorkshire Regiment 29 October 1917

Joined Battalion 29 October 1917

With Battalion 19.2.18

29.3.18 [???]

Handwritten note - NOK wife [Lilian?]

[Verrico2009]

To see copies of the original you can do one of three things - Ancestry usually have an ongoing free trial, large local libraries often have free access or a personal visit to the National Archives at Kew where you can access them on their system. All the WW1 service records (other than officers) are digitised and once that's done, there's no access to the originals without very good reason because they're so fragile. You may know that the "other ranks" service papers took a direct hit in WW2 and about 70% were destroyed. So the damage I'm referring to is water and fire. There are a lot of pages where there's a frustrating glimpse of ink but it's not legible. I'm still looking through - there may be something about his time as a POW there.

ETA there's a stamp that he was reported as a prisoner or war, but the handwritten ink around it has degraded. Seems he was compulsorily transferred to the RAMSC MT in mid-1919. Elsewhere a note that he was missing in the field 21.3.1918 [this is a better version of the note made on 29.3.18 mentioned in post above].

Hope that helps! Also worth noting that although there's nominally over 40 pages there's plenty of duplication and the copying of reverse pages mostly not giving any additional information. For full details of the action you may be better off taking up Chris' offer if you're not already familiar with it.

[Philip Sutton]

Hi,

This is great many thanks............. You guys know your stuff.

I have looked up the 6th Division Diarys and am aware that the 1st Battalion, West Yorkshire 'held' for most of the day but look to have surrendered once they had been surrounded and run out of ammunition etc. Most have been a very frightening experience.

I'll keep on digging but if anyone if aware of any personal accounts from the 1st Battalion on that day that would be great.

Once again my thanks

[Philip Sutton]

Chris,

Thanks for your offer...................as mentioned I now have a copy of the 6th Division war Diary, is there anything else out there?

Kind regards

[Chris Noble]

Hi Philip.

Its all a bit complex isn't it (Laughs).

Drop me a PM if you get the chance.

Only thing i can make out at present is that he has come from 33 Infantry Base Detail. This would have been Etaples.

Drafts circa early 1918, that if he is one, i maybe able to pin down.

Best wishes.

Chris.