Tyne Cot Memorial
Tyne Cot Memorial: Pauline Priano
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
George Cutmore born at Cornsay, County Durham, one of 10 children, was the 2nd born of 5 sons and had 5 sisters. His father George Cutmore was originally from Poslingford, Suffolk where he was born in 1865, having migrated to the north east he married Susannah Liddle, known as Susan, in 1887 in the district of Lanchester, who was born in 1890 at Oakenshaw, County Durham. They settled at 96 Liddle Street, Cornsay Colliery, where George was employed as a coke drawer, however in 1891, Susan, James (3) and 11 month old Elizabeth were staying as visitors with George’s parents James and Hannah Cutmore at 20, Newcastle Street, Brandon, 8 miles away. Although they remained at Cornsay as their family grew with the arrival of Isabella in 1892, George 1897, Arthur 1899 and Joseph 1901, they had moved to 16, Stable Street and taken in a 3 boarders, 60-year-old Hugh Mague and 43-year-old Charles Cooper, coke drawers, also Charles’s son Robert who at the age of 15 was employed as a brickworks labourer. George’s parents had a further 4 children by 1911, Matthew born 1903, Annie 1905, Emma 1908 and Henry 1910. In 1911 George (14) was the eldest of his siblings still living at home and was now employed as a pony driver at the colliery, his father worked as a labourer at the coke ovens.
On the outbreak of war George was one of the first to enlist at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, November 26th 1914 to join the newly formed 23rd (4th Tyneside Scottish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. Assigned as Private 23/935 his training began in Newcastle until the battalion was moved to Alnwick camp in the grounds of Alnwick castle, January 29th 1915. The battalion was transferred to Ripon, Yorkshire in June 1915 where it joined the 102nd Brigade, 34th Division and moved for final training in late August to Salisbury Plain, the division departed to France in January 1916, concentrated at La Crosse near St. Omer. After undergoing a period of trench familiarisation they were moved to the Somme in preparation for the forthcoming offensive due to commence June 29th 1916, which because of bad weather did not take place until July 1st 1916. At 7.28 a.m. July 1st 1916 two huge mines were detonated in the explosive packed tunnels under the German lines, one to the north, the other to the south of the village of La Boisselle, near Albert. The 23rd Battalion was in support of the 20th/21st/22nd Battalions during the attack. In 1917 they were moved to the Arras sector and fought during the First and Second Battles of the Scarpe, April 9th-14th and April 23rd-24th 1917, at Arleux during the Arras Offensive April 9th-May 16th 1917. In August they fought at Hargicourt and in October were on the Ypres salient in Belgium at Broenbeck during the Third Battle of Ypres.
Private 23/935 George Cutmore Northumberland Fusiliers is presumed to have died on the salient October 20th 1917 but due to the conditions of the battlefield his body was never found. His sacrifice is recorded as one of the 34,997 names inscribed on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, near Ypres in Belgium, which forms the eastern boundary of the cemetery. The memorial commemorates servicemen from Britain and New Zealand who died on the salient between August 1917 and November 1918 and who have no known grave. He was 20 years of age and single.
All monies due to him were assigned to his parents and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
His brother Lance Corporal James W. Cutmore was killed in action also on the Ypres salient in 1914 and is commemorated on the Menin Gate, Ypres town centre, Belgium.
His brother-in-law John William Black his sister Elizabeth’s husband, died of wounds May 31st 1918 in France.
George Cutmore’s mother Susan Cutmore nee Liddle died in 1936 aged 67 years preceding her husband George who died aged 75 years in 1940.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
George Cutmore is remembered at Cornsay on C116.01 and at Quebec on Q2.06
