William Arthur Dutton
Barnby Road School.
Magnus Grammar School.
Painter and Decorator with his father.
Pre war Army.
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
Named on the CWGC as W A Dutton but no more details. Son of Arthur and Beatrice Dutton nee Butler who had moved from Walsall, Staffordshire after the birth of two daughters Gladys and Beatrice. William born in Newark 1917, Arthur listed as Cpl 1/8th Sherwood
Foresters, drummer at the Picturedrome, living at 18 Cherryholt Lane, Newark. Harry the youngest born Newark in 1924. William worked with his father but joined the Grenadier Guards 28/12/1937 trade listed as mechanic. In the 1939 register, Arthur, painter and decorator is living at 'Worsall', Newark Road, Coddington. With his daughter Beatrice, a shop assistant and Red Cross worker and Harry a junior clerk.
William's mother is listed at Cafe, 48 Lombard Street with her daughter Gladys, later married name Wiseman, and both listed as unpaid domestic duties. In 1944 Beatrice was granted a divorce, notified in the Nottingham Evening Post on the grounds of desertion. She later married Frank Dexter in 1957, died in 1961. On Williams's enlistment in 1937 he lists his parents at Coddington, but 6/1/1938 his father name is removed as next of kin, being replaced by his mother listing 48 Lombard Street as her address.
Pre war Army.
The British Expeditionary Force was involved in the later stages of the defence of Belgium following the German invasion in May 1940, and suffered many casualties in covering the withdrawal to Dunkirk.
Those buried in Esquelmes War Cemetery died in defending the line of the River Scheldt;
the Germans attempted to cross the river near Esquelmes during the morning of 21 May, but were repulsed after heavy fighting. They eventually crossed on 23 May, when the British Expeditionary Force withdrew to the Gort Line. Casualties buried in various places in the neighbourhood were brought to Esquelmes by the Belgian authorities in September 1940.
Grenadier Guards 3rd Bn War Diary entry:
1940 May 20
A quiet day.
Battalion H.Q. to BAILLEUL.
The Battalion dug in during the night,
No. 1 Company Right
No. 2 Company Centre
No. 4 Company Left, and
No. 3 Company reserve, immediately East of BAILLEUL.
1940 May 21
All quiet at Stand Down. At 0730 hours a violent Artillery, Mortar and Machine Gun barrage fell on the whole of the 1st GUARDS BRIGADE front. A determined attack was launched at the point of junction of the Battalion and the 2nd Battalion COLDSTREAM GUARDS. A crossing was forced and Machine Guns, Mortars and Snipers got across the river, infiltrating on the left, and forced our men back as far as the PONT A CHIN road. The open country held by our forward Companies was completely under enemy observation, and every movement made by our troops was dogged by accurate Machine Gun and Mortar Fire.
No's 1 and 2 Companies stood firm, and Captain P.T CLIFTON with the reserve Platoon of No. 1 Company and some men of No. 2 Company under Captain P.J.C. RADFORD-NOROP organised an immediate counter attack and regained the line of the river bank. Meanwhile Major W.R.J. ALSTON-ROBERTS-WEST Commanding No. 4 Company gathered the remainder of his Company and made a great but unsuccessful effort to regain the lost trenches. In these attacks Machine Guns and Mortars accounted for Major A.R. WEST and 2/Lieutenant A.N. BOYD (killed), Captain P.T. CLIFTON, Captain P.J.C. RADFORD-NORCOP and Lieutenant the MASTER of FORBES (wounded) and many men. Seeing that the situation was serious the Commanding Officer went forward in a Carrier and made a recce on the spot as there was no post from which he could see what was happening. As a result one Section of Carriers was sent to cover the Right, and No. 3 Company was ordered to counter attack and regain No. 4 Company’s position. Supported by one Section of Carriers under Lieutenant H. REYNELL- PACK and the Mortar Platoon this attack went in with great dash at 1130 hours, but the men were mown down by hidden Machine Guns mentioned above, although it got within a few yards of the river bank and the old positions it was impossible to hold them. Lieutenant H. REYNELL-PACK in his own Carrier went right across the open country having spotted where the Machine Gun fire was coming from, and silenced the guns on the left, but
still the fire was too heavy, so Captain L.S. STARKEY with the remainder of No's 3 and 4 Companies took up a line covering the main road.
In this counter attack Captain R.E. ABEL-SMITH, Lieutenant H. REYNELL-PACK and Lieutenant the DUKE of NORTHUMBERLAND were killed. Owing to the danger of the break through, two companies 2nd Battalion HAMPSHIRES were put under Command Major A.H.S. ADAIR, M.C, one taking up a position in support on the line of the road and one in reserve East of BAILLEUL. Towards dark enemy Artillery and Machine Gun fire died down, and patrols sent forward found our banks clear of enemy, and the line was re-established. The remainder of the Battalion being organised into one Company under Captain R.N. BRINCKMAN who came up from ‘B’ Echelon during the night, and more and more men were collected from weapon pits of the forward area, therefore at Stand Down in the morning the Battalion was organised into two Companies, one under Captain L.S. STARKEY and the other under Captain R.N. BRINCKMAN.
Photo of William Arthur Dutton