Capt Geoffrey Storrs Sutton (MC)

• Age: 23
• From: Birkenhead, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 23rd March 1918
• Commemorated at: Savy Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: I.H.29

Geoffrey Storrs Sutton was born in Birkenhead on 27th May 1894 the only child of William Storrs Sutton and his wife Katherine (neen Paton) who married at St Cuthbert's Church, Southport on 07th September 1893. His father was born in Scotby, Cumberland, his mother was born in Manchester. Geoffrey was baptised on 22nd June 1894 in St Anne's Church, Birkenhead. His parents were living at 45 Kenyon Terrace, Claughton (these terraces are now part of an English Heritage listed building). 

His father is described on the Baptismal Certificate as a leather factor. Geoffrey's grandfather had won medals for his leather goods at the International Exhibition in London in 1862 and the Sutton family had set up a tannery in Scotby which was destroyed by fire in 1933. 

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at 7 Slately Road, Birkenhead. His father's occupation is shown as a hide and leather factor. The premises have a housemaid and a cook.

In 1908 Geoffrey's father died in Cumberland.

The 1911 Census shows the family at the Abbey, St. Bees, Cumberland. His widowed mother is the head of the household, living on private means. Geoffrey is 16,  and a scholar. There are also ten teenage schoolboy boarders. 

Geoffrey attended St. Bees School (founded 1583) he took a leading part in all games, playing in the 1^st XV in 1912-13. He was in the O.T.C. for four years, attaining the rank of Sergeant in his last year.

Before the war he was employed with Messrs. Brunner Mond’s Analytical Works, Northwich.

He enlisted in Liverpool as a Private, he then obtained his commission in 1915. He saw service in France from 1915.

A note from the battalion diary of the 20th Battalion shows Geoffrey's even bravery during training:

20^th Bn war diary –____

3/12/1915 -  Letter received from G.O.C. 89^th Infantry Brigade conveying his appreciation of the gallantry and promptitude of Lt G.S. Sutton who when at bombing practice at Vaux, on 25/11/1915, picked up and threw out of the trench a No.5 grenade, the spring of which had become released and which had fallen in the trench, thereby preventing a bad accident and most probably saving men’s lives.

On 14th June 1916 as a Lieutenant, he proceeded to the 30th Divisional Grenade School for a special course for selected trained bombers and thereafter instructed others in bombing techniques. He took part in the Battle of Guillemont on 30th July 1916, and the Battle of Flers on 12th October 1916, as Captain in Command of No.3 Company. At the end of October, he was slightly wounded by shell fire but remained on duty. Shortly after, on November 2nd he was granted UK leave.

In the New Years Honours list of January 1st 1917,he was awarded the Military Cross, but unfortunately no Citation was published. This was reported locally on 02^nd January 1917 when the Liverpool Echo reported Temp. Capt. Geoffrey Storrs Sutton awarded Military Cross news of which had originally appeared in the London Gazette.

In February 1917 he attended a course of instruction at the 3rd Army Infantry School and on the 1st April 1917 he was ill and was moved to a Field Ambulance.

At some time, probably after the disbandment of the 20th Battalion in February 1918,he was transferred to the 19th Battalion and was serving with it on 23rd March 1918,when he was killed in action after the German breakthrough around St Quentin. The 19th Battalion had been stationed behind the Battle Zone near Germaine when the German attack began on 21st March. It moved up to man battle stations, and took the brunt of the German assault at Roupy on the 22nd,when it was all but wiped out. It was then forced to retire through Fluquieres, towards Ham which it reached at 02.00am on the 23rd. Ham itself fell at 06.00 am that morning and the Battalion was further forced to retire to the canal bank between Esmery Hallon and Moyencourt. By this time it had sustained losses of 19 officers, and 340 other ranks. Captain Sutton was one of those killed age 23.

Although official records show his death to have occurred on 23rd March 1918,and it is this date which is shown on his headstone, it is possible that this might be a error. His original burial place at Roupy was established by the Germans, after they had killed or captured all that village's defenders, on the late afternoon of the 22nd March 1918. Thus, anyone buried there was either killed on or before 23rd March, or died of wounds at a later date, in captivity. Therefore, it is more probable that he either died from wounds on 23rd March in German hands, or his actual date of death was 22nd March. Had he been killed in action on 23rd March it is inconceivable that he would have been buried in a German held cemetery, when the survivors of the Battalion were by then, miles away in retreat. 

Geoffrey now rests at Savy British Cemetery where his headstone bears the epitaph: 

“FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH”

Savy was taken by the 32nd Division on the 1st April 1917, after hard fighting, and Savy Wood on the 2nd. On the 21st March 1918 Savy and Roupy were successfully defended by the 30th Division, but the line was withdrawn after nightfall. The village and the wood were retaken on the 17th September 1918 by the 34th French Division, fighting on the right of the British IX Corps.

Savy British Cemetery was made in 1919, and the graves from the battlefields and from the following small cemeteries in the neighbourhood were concentrated into it.

There are now over 850, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, more than half are unidentified. Memorials are erected in the cemetery to 68 soldiers (chiefly of the 19th King's Liverpools and the 17th Manchesters), buried by the Germans in their cemetery on the St. Quentin-Roupy road, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The Cemetery covers an area of 2,555 square metres and is enclosed by a low rubble wall.

Geoffrey is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Scotby War Memorial, Cumbria

Brunner Mond Memorial, Winnington, Cheshire    

His mother was awarded a pension, (listed as Major) living at Wellhome Lea, Scotby, Carlisle. On the Army Officers War Deaths he listed as Temp. Captain. Probate records show the beneficiary was his mother Katherine.

A fund was set up in Geoffrey's name the details of which are contained below: 

LATE MRS S.M.SATTERTHWAITE

BEQUEST TO THE LANCASTER NURSING HOME

Mrs Emily Satterthwaite, Redlands, Arnside, who died on March 27th, widow of Mr S. Marshall, Sattertwaite, Caton Hall, Lancaster, and youngest daughter of the late Mr William Sutton, Scotby, Carlisle, left unsettled property of the gross value of £12,996 with net personality £10,308.

Testatrix left £2,000 on Trust for her sister-in-law, Kate Sutton for life, with remainder as to half to her niece, Ulla Mary Sutton, for life and further remainder as her said niece may appoint, and as the other half on trust for the Star and Garter Home of the British Red Cross Society, but should the society cease to carry on this institution, then for such purposes of the said society as Queen Mary during her lifetime may appoint and thereafter as the the Queen of England may appoint; and should there be no Queen, as the then King of England may appoint; this charity being called the British Red Cross, Geoffrey Storrs Sutton Fund.

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