Pozieres Memorial
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
James Hutton was born April 2nd 1894 at West Hartlepool, County Durham, one of 4 children, 2 sons and 2 daughters, all of whom survived. His father Thomas Hutton of Hunwick, County Durham born 1869 at the age of 20 enlisted in the Royal Artillery serial number R.A. 70922. This number indicates he served with the Royal Garrison Artillery responsible for ammunition storage and supply and falls within the parameters of the Boar War, October 1899-May 1902. His service was short lived as he married Sarah Hannah Smith born 1870 at Bowden Close Colliery in 1890, by 1891 they were living at 10 Belgrave Terrace, Stanton, West Hartlepool, where he was employed as a boiler maker. He later became a labourer below ground at the colliery and moved his family to 1 Grange Terrace East, Heworth, near Gateshead by 1911. Thomas was now a deputy over-man at the coal mine however James, aged 17 years was employed as a junior clerk for a publisher.
James enlisted and was assigned as Able Seaman TZ/5333 Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, Anson Battalion Royal Naval Division. Anson was one of the battalion formed August 16th 1914, an idea of Winston Churchill the First Lord of the Admiralty, from the surplus men of the Naval Reserve but training was slow because resources were needed for the rapid expansion of the Army. Able Seaman Hutton served in Gallipoli attached to the 63rd Royal Naval Division when they departed in 1915. After the evacuation from Gallipoli the RND were sent to France to participate in the final stages of the Battles of the Somme in 1916. Anson Battalion was deployed along with Nelson and Drake, 2nd RMLI and Howe, Hood and Hawke, 1st RMLI during the Battle of Ancre. When the battle began in the early hours of November 13th 1916 they were ordered to crawl across no-man’s land towards the German line under the cover of a creeping barrage but about 50 per cent of the day's total casualties occurred before the first German trench was taken. They next moved to the actions at Miramont January-March 1917 before deploying to the Ypres salient in Belgium during the 2nd Battle of Passchendaele October-November 1917. The German Spring offensive was launched March 21st to August 7th 1918 and the Division returned to the Somme.
Able Seaman TZ/5333 James Hutton was killed in action on the Somme battlefield May 25th 1918. His sacrifice is recorded on the Pozieres Memorial to the Missing, panel 1, Somme, France, one of 14,655 casualties from the United Kingdom and 300 of the South Africa Forces who died in the sector, March 21st-August 7th 1918 and have no known grave. Private Hutton was 24 years old and single.
His mother received all monies due to him, a pension and his awards of the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 27, Third Street, High Heworth, Felling-on-Tyne, County Durham.
Thomas Hutton is listed as having been a Royal Chelsea Pensioner.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
James Hutton is remembered at Heworth on H92.03
