Photo: Geordie at War Project
Tyne Cot Memorial
Tyne Cot Memorial: Pauline Priano
In Gateshead East Cemetery is a family headstone which is not easy to read:
In
loving remembrance
of
Private
Henry Craggs Sutton
........
........
........
between ..............
........
Aged 20 years.
Also in loving remembrance of
Private John William Sutton
King's Own Scottish Borderers
brother of the above
who was killed in action November 25th 1917
........
........
........
........
Also Margaret
........ wife ......
........
........
....John George Sutton ......
grandson of (the above?)died March 8th ............
(the rest is illegible)
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Henry Craggs Sutton was born February 22nd 1897, at Gateshead. He was the second born son, one of 7 children, 4 sons and 3 daughter. His father John George Sutton and mother Margaret Bewick were also natives of Gateshead born April 24th 1870 and September 9th 1873 respectively. His parents were married July 30th 1893 at Christ Church, Gateshead, settling at 22, Northbourne Terrace John George supported his family employed as a railway time-keeper for the Locomotive Department of the North Eastern Railway Company. At the age of 16 years his brother John William was also employed by them as a locomotive engine cooler, Henry Craggs Sutton worked as an assistant sugar boiler at a confectioners, his other siblings were scholars.
He enlisted at Gateshead and was assigned as Private 43494 serving firstly with the 9th then transferred to the 10th Battalion King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. He departed for the Western Front as of January 1916 and participated during the Battles of the Somme attached to the 64th Brigade, 21st Division at the opening battle July 1st at Albert, followed by Bazentin Ridge July 14th-17th, Morval September 25th-28th and Le Transloy October 1st-18th.
In 1917 they were in action during the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, the Arras Offensive April 9th-May 15th before moving north to the Ypres salient participating during the Third Battle of Ypres also known as the Battle of Passchendaele which raged from July to November 1917.
Private 43494 Henry Craggs Sutton was killed in action October 4th 1917 on the Ypres salient. His sacrifice is recorded as one of the 34,887 names of servicemen from the United Kingdom and New Zealand inscribed on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing which forms part of the boundary wall at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, near Ypres in Belgium, commemorating those who died on the Ypres salient as of August 16th 1917 and who have no known grave.
His father received all monies due to him and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Margaret Sutton nee Bewick died August 8th 1925 aged 52 years, John George Sutton died January 4th 1938 aged 68 years, sons Sydney George Sutton 1902-1983, Richard Jefferies Sutton 1909-1998 Francis Thoreau Sutton 1915-1998, daughters Jane Ballantine Sutton 1900-1985, Elizabeth Evangeline Sutton 1904-1970, Dorothy Wordsworth Sutton 1906-1981 and Margaret May Sutton 1912-1995, all registered in the district of Gateshead, County Durham with the exception of Francis Thoreau Sutton at Haltwhistle, Northumberland.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Henry Craggs Sutton is remembered at Gateshead on G39.004, G39.029 and G39.032