De Ruvigny Roll of Honour Vol 4 page 72

Post Office Roll of Honour entry Page 500

Family Headstone at Rothbury Cemetery

Family Home Warlencourt Memorial Front Door

Overall view of the Battlefield AWM image

Robert Gutherson was born on the 16th November 1882, at Thropton, Rothbury, Northumberland, the youngest son of the late William Gutherson, [born 1841, died July 14th 1913], Bootmaker, and his wife Isabella, [born 1842, died 18th August 1920], daughter of John Dixon.

They had 9 children, but two daughters died in infancy. Isabella, [1872 to 1873], and Jane [1876].

The eldest was Thomas born 1864, Alice born 1866, John Robert born 1869, Mary born 1871, Ann born 1875 and William born 1878.

Robert was educated at Thropton School, and prior to being a Postman, he worked for his father's shoe making business, along with his brothers John and Thomas, his father was employing up to 27 men in his shoe making business. By 1911, Robert had joined the Post Office and was employed as a Rural postman at Rothbury Post Office. He also was a church member of the Presbyterian Church.

He married at Benwell Presbyterian Church, Newcastle-upon-Tyne on the 1st June 1910, Barbara, the eldest daughter of John B. Laidler. They had three children: William born 15th December 1912, Annie born 2nd July 1911 and Catherine Forey born 24th June 1915.

Robert enlisted into the 1/4th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers on the 10th July 1916.

1/4th Battalion in August 1914 were in Hexham. Part of Northumberland Brigade, Northumbrian Division. April 1915, landed in France. In May 1915, became 149th Brigade, 50th Northumbrian Division, in France.

15th July 1918, reduced to cadre strength and transferred to Lines of Communication. On the 16th August 1918, it was transferred to the 118th Brigade, 39th Division. On the 10th November 1918 they were disbanded in France.

1/7th Battalion in August 1914 based in Alnwick. Part of Northumberland Brigade, Northumbrian Division. Record same as 1/4th Battalion up to February 1918.12th February 1918, transferred to the 42nd East Lancashire Division and converted to a Pioneer Battalion.

He was given the service number of 4/6053, [De Ruvigny states 6187], he then was transferred in to the 1/7th (Territorial) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, service number 292284, before being sent to France on the 27th September 1916.

Postcards addressed to Master Willie Gutherston during his time in training at Marske before going to France show him to have been a devoted father, and in one of these he advised his three year old son: "When Daddy is away, you will have to look after Mummy.
Source: Colin Wheeler.

Robert was reported missing around the 14th November, whilst attacking the Butte-du-Warlencourt, and is assumed to have been killed around this date.

De Ruvigny Roll of Honour

The attack was launched just before dawn at 6.45am. The 26th Battalion on the right was stopped by machine-gun fire from the Maze. The 25th Battalion (Australian Queensland) mostly suffered the same treatment. The 19th Battalion, in conjunction with the Northumberlands, took Gird Support. [But] it was found to be waterlogged and they fell back to Gird Trench. The 1/7th Northumberlands appeared to have taken Hook Sap, but they came under severe fire from Butte Trench and nothing was heard from them.
The Somme Day by Day Chris McCarthy, Brockhampton Press. 1998. ISBN 1860198732.

In Rothbury Cemetery is family headstone which reads:

In
Loving memory of
William,
beloved husband of
Isabella Gutherson
who died at Thropton
July 14th 1913
aged 73 years
Isabella
wife of the above
died August 18th 1920
aged 78 years,
Also their daughters
Isabella and Jane
who died in infancy
Pte. Robert Gutherson N.F.youngest son of above
and husband of
Barbara Gutherson,
Missing on the Somme
Nov. 14th 1916 aged 33 years

See The Valley Remembers; Upper Coquetdale WW1 Project; 2014; © A.F.C. Hunter; page 31.

When Robert's mother passed away there was a will in which she left £463 9s 1d to John Robert Gutherson, Shoe maker, her second eldest son.

Also at Thropton there is a front door which has a family memorial to remember Robert and his sacrifice. This is where he resided with his wife.

Robert Gutherson is remembered at Rothbury on R24.01 and R24.02 at Thropton on T16.01 T16.03 and T16.05, at Alnwick in A11.59 as well as Morpeth on M17.14 and in Alwinton on A12.02

He is also remembered in the Post Office Roll of Honour on page 500. [See 2nd from top photo]. Courtesy of the Post Office Archives.

Butte-de-Warlencourt WW1 Battlefield
1/7th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers War Diary
The CWGC entry for Private Gutherson