Attestation papers

Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-

Born on 24th April 1892, the year after his parents’ marriage, Percy was the oldest child of Hartlepool shipping clerk Charles Villiers Sutton and his Scottish born wife Margaret. Margaret bore another four children, all girls, including twins, but only May survived into adulthood, the deaths of the three youngest were all registered in the last quarter of 1904. Living in York Road, West Hartlepool from an early age, by 1911 Percy was a teacher at a local board school, but the following year he left England for Canada and a teaching post in Calgary, Alberta. After two years Percy was principal of the Macleod public schools, but left when he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force at the newly opened camp at Valcartier on 22nd September 1914.

Percy, who held a Certificate of Military Instruction as a Cadet Instructor, and was a member of the local militia 103rd Regiment Calgary Rifles, became Private 20381 of the 10th Battalion which embarked for Plymouth on 4th October 1914 followed by a period of wet weather training on Salisbury Plain. Mid February saw the battalion on a ship again, this time making for France and then Flanders where they made camp near Ploegsteert to start learning about the realities of trench warfare. Moving onto the front line near Armentieres Percy was shot in the wrist and hand whilst working on a dug-out and after treatment at Boulogne was evacuated to England and six months of treatment and therapy to ensure he regained use of his hand.

Posted to the 9th Reserve Battalion at East Sandling, Percy was promoted to Corporal then Sergeant in December, orderly room clerk and then in June 1916 orderly room Sergeant. In August he was promoted to temporary Lieutenant of the 9th Reserve Battalion based at St. Martin’s Plain near Folkestone, Kent and the following month was one of six Lieutenants drafted to join the Royal Canadian Regiment near Warloy in France.

Just days later, the RCR received orders to relieve the 49th Battalion on the frontline at the Brickfields, near Albert. It was here in trenches near Tara Hill on 8th October 1916 that Lieutenant Sutton was one of five officers reported as killed in action.

Percy Villiers Sutton is remembered at Hartlepool on H115.18, at West Hartlepool on W111.01, W111.54 and W111.86 page 36

In Canada he is remembered on their Virtual War Memorial and in their Book of Remembrance and on the Calgary Soldiers’ Memorial.

Canadian Book of Remembrance
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
The CWGC entry for Lieutenant Sutton