Second Lieutenant HUTTON, WILLIAM WALLACE, Royal Flying Corps from Cape Town, South Africa.

[LDT006]

Two cases were accepted by JCCC at the same time, probably because they are in the same cemetery.

This one is very similar to the one of 2nd Lt. Pike HG:

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/290151-second-lieutenant-pike-henry-george-65th-sqdn-royal-air-force

 

The reseach was done by Trevor and myself but the late Richard Laughton helped a lot with his expertise on researching the unknowns, he also corrected a lot of English language mistakes in my original report.

CWGC link: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/784867/HUTTON, WILLIAM WALLACE/

 

The report was submitted to CWGC for grave 4.A.3 at Larch Wood Cemetery in December 2016 and is now accepted by CWGC, MOD and AHB,

an extract from the JCCC email:

Can I take this opportunity to thank you for all your hard work with these cases and submitting them enabling these brave young men to have their resting places identified – we are most grateful.

JCCC will now attempt to contact members of the families to inform them of this decision and also arrange a rededication ceremony at the graveside at Larch Wood (Railway Cutting) Cemetery with RAF representation. As travel is so difficult due to the covid pandemic sadly I am unsure when this will be but I will keep you informed and send you an invite when details are available.

 

Extracts from the report:

2nd Lt. W.W. Hutton was missing in 3122 Handley Page from a bombing raid on St Denis Westrem on the night of 26th/27th october 1917 with FltSubLt Andrews and AGL LM Kent. 

A german report states that a flak unit shot down a Handley Page aircraft in the Handzame area on 27 oct 1917.

The casualty card for 2nd Lt Hutton shows that Andrews and Kent were taken prisoner of war and that 2nd Lt Hutton was killed. Information from ICRC shows that the pilot, Flt Sub Lt Andrews, was taken prisoner of war in the area of Kortemark on the same day, 27 october 1917. The 3th occupant of the plane, AGL LM Kent, was taken prisoner of war in the area of Thorout on 28 october 1917, the day after the crash. Apparently both were trying to escape from the Germans.

There was an Unknown British 2/Lieutenant from the 7th Bn. London Regiment attd. RFC buried at Larch Wood cemetery grave 4A3. The remains were exhumed from Marckhove GMC No.2, German grave 328. Information from ICRC (PA19305) shows that they buried him at Handzaeme, which is close, or the same for Germans, to Marckhove.

There is only one other casualty from all flying services that was attached from the 7th Bn. London Regiment:
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/738315/ALBAN, CLIFTON FREDERICK/ (Served as BAILEY, C.F.). He was shot down by Karl Menckhoff of Jasta 3 and died on 6 april 1917 in the Arras area, this is 76Km to the south of Handzame and he can therefore be excluded.

 

His service file has very few details:

Born 13 September 1894. Green Point, Cape Town, South Africa.

Sun of  Mr. A.E. Hutton and Mrs. Jessie Ethel Hutton. Millbanke, Hill Road, Green Point, Cape Town, South Africa.
Eldest brother: Mr. Louis V? Hutton, Millbanke, Hill Road, Green Point, Cape Town, South Africa.

Served as a private in the Duke of Edinburough Own Rifles from 1 July 1913 untill 3 November 1915, attended an officers training and was then attached to  the 1st South African Infantry Brigade.

Serving with the 7th Battalion, London Regiment, attached to 7A Squadron, Royal Flying Corps.

Killed In Action on 28 October 1917 at the age of 23.

 

We are now again searching for photo's and additional information on his life, I can't find much online, maybe the experts here have something?

Thanks,

Luc.

 

[PRC]

You may be particularly interested in his South African probate, especially pages 3 and 4.

 

Page 1

 

Page 2

 

Page 3

 

Page 4

 

 

All images courtesy familysearch: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGPG-PNSK

 

Hope that helps,

 

Peter

 

 

[LDT006]

Thanks Peter,

 

very interesting indeed, it contradicts our assumption that the 2 others were escaping based on the locations (from ICRC) where they were captured. This once again proves that German information is not always correct and should be verified.

 

That Familysearch is fantastic: free and easy to use.

Signed up today and his mothers dead certificate shows his brothers and sisters.

He had a brother who was KIA a month before him, would he have known?

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/161030/ALBERT EDWARD HUTTON/

Thanks again,

Luc.

 

 

[PRC]

On 16/04/2021 at 16:30, LDT006 said:

He had a brother who was KIA a month before him, would he have known?

 

Even worse for the mother it look like at the time William Wallace went missing, she was probably still hoping her other son was still alive as he too may only have been posted missing.

 

If you scroll down the CWGC webpage for Albert Hutton you'll see a concentration report attached. An original document from October 1919 shows he was recovered from the battlefield alongside another unknown soldier of the same regiment.

 

Image courtesy the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

 

Cheers,

Peter

[fetubi]

10 hours ago, PRC said:

You may be particularly interested in his South African probate, especially pages 3 and 4.

 

Page 1

 

 

Page 2

 

 

Page 3

 

 

 

Page 4

 

 

 

All images courtesy familysearch: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGPG-PNSK

 

Hope that helps,

 

Peter

 

 

Peter,  Thank you SO MUCH for that remarkable post, where the loss of their Handley Page was described. It's an invaluable reference - and I will add the details to my book's entry on it. Thanks again.

 

[dickaren]

Congratulations on the positive ID

Richard

[LDT006]

How sad, two brothers coming all the way from South Africa and killed while fighting the Germans in Belgium .

Their graves were only 19Km from each other.

 

[jaykayu]

A rededication ceremony for Second Lieutenant William Wallace Hutton, Royal Flying Corps and 7th Battalion, London Regiment will be held at 9.30am (local time) on 24 May 2023 at CWGC’s Larch Wood (Railway Cutting) Cemetery, Belgium. CWGC

Six years & five months after the case was first submitted in December 2016.

[andrew pugh]

Hi Folks

Well done to everyone involved. I think taking over 6 years to come to a decision is absolutely disgusting. I have tried several times to get updates from the CWGC concerning cases I have presented, trying to get through is impossible via email or asking the the operator to speak to someone.     

Kind Regards

Andy