Combles Communal Cemetery Extension: Case #2 - Pte. George Sutherland S/9234 (John Milner Solved!)

[laughton]

The main cemetery topic related to these files is here:

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/267473-combles-communal-cemetery-extension/

 

It started as a result of an investigation of the ICRC Records, and is cross linked to files in another cemetery:

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/267438-beaurevoir-british-cemetery-case-2-cracking-the-icrc-grave-records-gb-list/

 

On 20/11/2018 at 15:24, laughton said:

There may be some evidence that these can be matched to cemeteries. On the sheet PA24589, the men that are known are buried in the Combles Communal Cemetery Extension and all were on the same COG-BR and noted as buried by the Germans. They came from 57c.T.29.d.05.20 or 57c.T.29.a.90.10.

 

In the process of going through all the COG-BR documents looking for others at these coordinates, I came across one more name that had an ICRC record. His CWGC record is here:

https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/591975/sutherland,-/

They have him beside Private George Lax S/5585, also of the 9th Seaforth Highlanders. Both are reported to have been buried by the Germans. All of this is recorded on COG-BR 1984793 (posted at the end). The area marked as 57c.T.29 is on the eastern outskirts of the Village of Combles (McMaster Map [Bapaume] 57c)

 

Sutherland did have a record and PA file with the ICRC: 

• Main Record: https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/371121/3/2/
• PA File: https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/List/371121/698/28222/

 

If you back up on the list from where that PA file is contained, you end up with a June 1918 burial list of men that were at the PARCHIM Prisoner of War Camp (PA 28214). There is a GWF topic about this camp here, and it appears there may be others:

• https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/257824-pow-card-parchim/
• https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/32907-parchim-camp/

 

There is a cemetery there that contains 1,402 graves of POWs that died in the Great War: https://www.tracesofwar.com/sights/65260/Cemetery-Prisoner-of-war-Camp-Parchim.htm

 

The CWGC has a cemetery listed for PARCHIM but it is for 5 commonwealth Airmen of the Second World War: https://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/2112254/parchim-cemetery/

They may have all been moved - some lost are remembered here:

• https://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/91400/HAMBURG CEMETERY

 

This is the Google shot of the Memorial and it does seem to be in a cemetery: https://www.google.com/maps/@53.4353567,11.8083612,286m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en-US

 

 

The ICRC record for Private Sutherland tells us that he was captured at Doignes on 21 March 1918, arriving in Parchim from the Western Front. Doignes is near the Beetroot Factory on the Bapaume-Cambrai Road (see this Australian picture of  the village: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/E01367?image=1).

 

The Village of Doignes is located at 57c.J.16 some distance north of Combles. At the moment I do not know who held that territory on 21 March 1918.

 

If he was captured at, or taken to Doignes, and then to Parchim POW Camp in Germany, where he apparently was buried, how did his remains end up in the Combles CCE after nearby exhumation?

 

I do not believe that is possible.

 

I have attempted to find if LAX followed the same route but so far I have not found his ICRC Record.

 

They are the top two entries on this COG-BR:

 

Edited 23 November , 2018 by laughton
change title as now resolved - ICRC records incorrect

[John Milner]

I have checked Find My Past and the SDGW entry for Sutherland (24 March 1918) and Lax (25 March 1918) indicate KIA.  There are no service records for either man, and both have no PoW record in the FMP collection.

 

On those links to the Red Cross entries above it indicates that Sutherland was 5th Battalion Seaforths, and all other existing records it's 9th (Pioneer) Battalion.

 

Regards

 

John

[laughton]

Can it be coincidence that there were TWO men with the exact same name, both Seaforths but one in the 5th and the other in the 9th?

 

But your "good eyes" has probably picked out that the ICRC made an error in linking the MAIN RECORD for 24 March 1918 to another George Sutherland who went missing on 21 March 1918, as on the PA file there is no reference to the service number.

 

So I went to the GEORGE SUTHERLAND MEDAL ROLL INDEX CARDS SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS and there are twenty one (21) that are named "George Sutherland", with George as the first name. That certainly increases the odds of having such an error. It appears the MRIC does not give the battalion.

 

Now checking the CWGC there are  six (6) George Sutherlands of the Great War that died in service, 3 in France and 3 in Belgium (CWGC List).

 

One of the three (3) lost in France was Captain George Angus Sutherland and he was 5th Battalion (1st/5th according to CWGC List) and just listed as  5th (MRI Card). It can't be him as he is buried at the St. Imoges Churchyard in the Marne, France with a date of death of 23 July 1918.

 

The other candidate was also Private George Sutherland #241425, also 5th Battalion Seaforths but dead on 16 May 1917 so he could not have been taken at Doignes on 21 March 1918. His medals record (MRI Card) tells us that he was previously a Seaforth with number 4904.

 

Even if we include the George Sutherlands that died in Belgium, as it is possible he could have ended up in a POW Camp in Germany, there are no candidates that died in 1918.

 

So if the 5th Highlanders is correct, where were they in March 1918? First the LLT tells us they were 152nd Brigade in 51st (Highland) Division. Their war diary tells us the 1st/5th was at Coke Camp on 19 March 1918. From the appendix we know that in the period of 21st to 27th they were initially south of Buursies 57c.J.5 (war diary page 318 of 508), which is near Hermies. That is at least close to where the ICRC records say their Sutherland was taken prisoner at 57c.J.16, which makes a lot more sense (2,220 yards separation). There is a direct reference to the Beetroot Factory and Doignies (war diary page 319 of 508).

 

The best I can make of this now is that my interpretation of the ICRC record that the PA28222 recorded SUTHERLAND was deceased and buried is incorrect. It would have to be that he was a prisoner at that time but not deceased. What I interpreted as "CEM" may in fact be "GEM" - in Germany not in a Cemetery! The fact that that there is no number given means he was probably an Officer and that he probably survived the war. The link on the ICRC records is therefore incorrect.

 

Others on his page do have numbers, including Fraser Sinclair #26456 (MRI Card), also 5th Seaforth and taken at the same time and location. He is not in the CWGC database so obviously he is not dead either!

 

Thanks to John's sharp eyes for solving the puzzle! Now the question is whether or not the ICRC will flag the file to say that the two files they have linked are different people.

[laughton]

There is a detailed review on Captain George "Geordie" Sutherland here, so it was not  him:

https://www.facebook.com/broraheritage/posts/46-george-geordie-angus-sutherland-july-27th-1918clyne-war-memorial-centenary-tr/1948712801888722/

 

 

[laughton]

The Officers Records show three (3) Sutherland Officers that served with the Seaforth Highlanders. I checked them on FamilySearch.org:

1. Captain George William Sheppard Sutherland
   • appears to have been married to Mary Elizabeth Sutherland (nee Brodie) (this link)
   • apparently with Canadian Expeditionary Force, 42nd Battalion prior to accepting a commission in the Seaforth Highlanders (Canadian File)
2. Captain George Angus Sutherland - the one shown above
   • beneficiary Alexandra Louisa Sutherland (this link)
3. 2nd Lieutenant George Granville Sutherland

[John Milner]

Happy to be of assistance.

 

John