This picture appeared in the edition of the Norwich Mercury dated Saturday June 22nd 1918 along with the caption “Pte. H.A. Tuttle, son of Mrs. A. Tuttle, 1, Sunshine Terrace, Oulton Broad, killed in France”.
From the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website : -
TUTTLE, HENRY ALFRED
Rank:……………….….Private
Service No:…………….13937
Date of Death: Between 09/04/1918 and 19/04/1918
Age:…………………….24
Regiment:………………Suffolk Regiment, 11th Bn.
Panel Reference:……….Panel 3.
Memorial:………………PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL
Additional Information:
Son of Mrs. Alice Ellen Tuttle, of 1, Sunshine Terrace, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft.[1]
Soldiers Died in the Great War, a multi-volume publication from the HMSO dating from the 1920’s records that 13937 Private Henry Alfred Tuttle was Killed in Action on the 18th April 1918 whilst serving with the 11th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. He was born Horsford, Norfolk, and enlisted Lowestoft. No place of residence is shown.[2]
_____________________________________________
1893 – Birth
The birth of an Henry Alfred Tuttle, mothers’ maiden name Blowers, was registered in the Norwich District of Norfolk in the July to September quarter, (Q3), of 1893 [3]
1901 Census of England & Wales
The 7 year old Henry Tuttle, born Bradfield, Norfolk, was recorded living at Toftwood, East Dereham. This was the household of his parents, James, (aged 37, Nurseryman and Market Gardener, born Hethersett, Norfolk) and Alice, (aged 34, born Southwold, “Norfolk”). As well as Henry their other children recorded living with them are:-
Ellen…….aged 14…born Chedgrave, Norfolk
Beatrice…aged 12….born Bale, Norfolk
Willie……aged 10…..born Bradfield
George….aged 8……born Bradfield
Stanley….aged 5……born Oby, Lincolnshire
Alice……aged 3……born Horsford, Norfolk
Agnes…..aged 2……born Horsford, Norfolk
Frederick.aged 5 months…born Braconash, Norfolk [4]
The civil records shows births for Ellen Maud, (Loddon District Q2 1888), Willie James, (Smallburgh District Q2 1891), George, (Smallburgh District Q3 1892), Stanley Charles, Flegg District Q4 1895 – so probably born Oby, Norfolk), Alice Lily (St. Faiths District Q2 1897), Agnes Marion, (St. Faiths District Q4 1898) and Frederick Tuttle, (Henstead District Q4 1900), all with mothers’ maiden name Blowers. Only Beatrice appears to be unaccounted for. [5]
1911 Census of England and Wales
The Tuttle family were now recorded living at White House Near School, Oulton, Lowestoft. Mother Alice has described herself as the Head of the Household and has signed the schedule, but someone else has crossed out “Head” and written “Wife”. Alice, (aged 43, born Southwold) states she has been married 24 years and has had 12 children, all then still alive. Children still single and living at home are:-
Henry…..aged 17…born Catton, Norwich…Iron Foundry worker
Charles…aged 15…born Oby Near Acle (Norfolk)..Farm Labourer
Alice……aged 13…born “Horseford”
Agness….aged 11…born “Beaston”
Freddie….aged 10…born “Fonsort”
Victor……aged 8….born Lowestoft
“Sdyney”..aged 8….born Lowestoft
Bertie……aged 7….born Oulton Broad [6]
The Medal Index Card for Private 13937 Henry A Tuttle, Suffolk Regiment, is held at the National Archive under reference WO 372/20/114074
It shows him originally landing in France with the 8th Battalion on the 25th July 1915, before going on to serve with the 9th Battalion. In the “Remarks” section it is noted that he was killed in action on the 18th April 1918. [7]
His Service Records appear to have gone up in flames in WW2 when German bombs burnt out the London Warehouse where other ranks Army Service records were stored.
The 8th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, landed in France on the 25th July 1915, so it looks like Henry deployed overseas with his Battalion. [8]
The FindMyPast website has a 1916 Medical Admission Register entry for him, (indexed as H. Futtle, born c1893, Suffolk Regiment 13937), but I don’t have subscription access to check it out. [9] All the points along the medical evacuation chain, from the Field Ambulance near the frontline to the hospitals back in the UK maintianed these registers. Only a 5% sample was retained post-war for statistical analysis, and it’s that sample that is now available. That entry probably relates to his appearance in the Official Casualty List in the edition of The Times dated December 22nd, 1916, when he is shown as Wounded. He is the only person from the Suffolk Regiment. The next of kin informed that he was a casualty was living at Oulton Broad. [10]
Individuals didn’t routinely transfer Battalions unless it suited the Army, so more likely the change of Battalions reflects a re-assignment following a period of medical treatment – whether as a result of wounding, ill-health or accidental injury – or unit disbandment.
His Medal Index Card shows him also serving with the 9th Battalion. That unit was disbanded in France on the 16th February 1918. [8]
An entry in the 9th Battalion War Diary for the 2nd February 1918 notes that “Battaln preparing for disbandment. Orders received to send two drafts, one consisting of 15 officers and 300 O.R. to be sent to the 11th Bn. Suffolk,” (the other went to the 12th Battalion). It is then noted that these drafts departed on the 5th February 1918. [11]
On the day
The dates given on CWGC, “Between 09/04/1918 and 19/04/1918” may seem a bit broad. [1] The reality is that retreating in the face of the German offensive, with many units being broken up and large numbers dead or taken prisoner, there was little that could be done (and probably little capacity) to work out when an individual soldier died. With there bodies now left on land abandoned to the Germans it would be months before it would be taken back by the allies. Those dates effectively mean he was present for the roll call on the 9th April 1918 (before the offensive broke) and was not present on the 19th, the next opportunity the unit probably had to take a roll call.
Soldiers Died in the Great War [2] and whoever added the note to his Medal Index Card [7] obviously had some reason to believe he died on the 18th.
No obvious Missing Persons enquiry received by the International Red Cross. [12]
The Government Probate Service holds a Soldiers Will for 13937 Henry Alfred Tuttle who died on the 18th April 1918. [13]
On April 9 the division lay with the 103rd Brigade upon the right section and the 102nd upon the left, with the guns of the Thirty-eighth Division behind them. The main attack on this day was entirely upon the two divisions, the Portuguese and the Fortieth, to the south. There was heavy shelling, however, of the back areas, especially Armentières and Erquinghem. When as the day advanced everything on the right had given way or weakened, the 103rd Brigade threw back a long thin defensive line, facing south, which ended in the direction of Fleurbaix. At the same time the reserve 101st Brigade was ordered up to cover Bac St. Maur Bridge. One battalion of the Reserve Brigade, the 11th Suffolks, got into Fleurbaix, when by a happy chance they were able to reinforce their own comrades of the 12th Battalion. These two sturdy East Anglian units held the village in a very desperate fight for many hours. The 15th and 16th Royal Scots of the same brigade had some hard fighting also as they continued the defensive line formed by the 103rd Brigade, and tried to prevent the victorious Germans from swarming round and behind the Thirty-fourth Division. Some idea of the danger may be gathered from the fact that of two brigades of artillery engaged one was firing south-west and the other due east. The original front was never in danger, but it was a desperate conflict upon the refused flank. [14]
From pages 280 and 281 “The History of the Suffolk Regiment 1914-1927” by Lieutenant-Colonel C.C.R.Murphy.
Before dawn on the 9th the enemy opened an intense bombardment south of the Lille railway, but no attack developed along the 34th Division front. At 10 a.m. the 101st Brigade as corps reserve was sent off to the south of Bac St. Maur; but an hour later the corps commander came to divisional headquarters and, hearing that the enemy had broken the Portuguese front and entered the battle zone of the 40th Division, told Major-General Nicholson to use the brigade to cover his own flank. On approaching Bac St. Maur and finding that village in possession of the Germans, the 101st Brigade took up a position facing west and south-west near Fort Rompu, when fighting began immediately. Thus the first troops of the 34th Division to enter the general engagement were those who, almost up to that very moment, had formed the corps reserve, a rare tactical anomaly.
Terrific fighting followed. On the 10th the battalion, having formed a defensive flank, beat off attack after attack. Twice the Germans broke through, but on one occasion the breach was closed by Captain Rodwell and his company, and on the other by Captain Canning and his company, assisted by Major Wright.
At 3.20 p.m. Lieut.-Colonel Tuck received orders to withdraw behind the river Lys. Speaking on the telephone, the officer commanding the battalion next on the left, which was still in the front line, explained that he could not possibly get clear in less than two hours. Colonel Tuck replied that in those circumstances he would do his best to hold on till five o’clock. He did so; and though the casualties in those two extra hours were heavy, this noble imposition helped materially to save two brigades……
…..Thus, without intermission, the struggle continued. On the 14th Brig.-General R.C. Gore, C.B., C.M.G., who had commanded the 101st Brigade since its arrival in France, was killed in action. He was succeeded by Brig.-General W.J. Woodcock, D.S.O. The next day the 59th Division having been overwhelmed, the 11th Battalion once more became part of the front line. On the night of the 17th-18th the battalion was relieved, moving at first into reserve trenches and three days later back to Boeschepe. The casualties in the battles of the Lys amounted to nearly five hundred,….. After the first battle of Kemmel Ridge the 34th Division came out of the line and was employed in digging defence lines near Poperinghe, being twice called upon to stand and prepare to defend the line it was digging, namely during the second battle of Kemmel and also the battle of Scherpenberg Ridge. On neither occasion, however, were the services of the division actually required. [15]
Sources
[1] Commonwealth War Graves Commission website entry retrieved 2017 www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/866665/TUTTLE,%20HENR...
[2] Soldiers Died in the Great War entry retrieved Genes Reunited 26/02/2017.
[3] GRO register of births retrieved 26/02/2017.
[4] 1901 Census of England & Wales retrieved Genes Reunited 26/02/2017.
[5] Information retrieved from the GRO website 28/04/2025.
[6] 1911 Census of England & Wales retrieved Genes Reunited 26/02/2017.
[7] Medal Index Card retrieved from the National Archive 26/02/2017. discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D5656104
[8] The Long, Long Trail page for the Suffolk Regiment retrieved 30/04/2025. www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-brit...
[9] FindMyPast, Ancestry and Fold3 military records indexing re-checked 30/04/2025.
[10] The Times Digital Archive checked 30/04/2025.
[11] WO-95-1625-1_2 9th Battalion Suffolk Regiment War Diary sourced the UK National Archive 12/10/2020
[12] International Committee of the Red Cross website checked 26/02/2017 grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/
[13] Retrieved Probate search service 26/02/2017. Re-checked 30/04/2025 – that website no longer allows permamnent links.
[14] The Great War, The British Campaign in France and Flanders, Vol. V, by Arthur Conan Doyle retrieved 26/02/2017 gutenberg.net.au/ebooks12/1202591h.html#chap2
[15] Updated sourced located 30/04/2025 for The History of the Suffolk Regiment 1914-1927 by Lieutenant C.C.Murphy – the link previously posted in 2017 leads to a website which is now defunct. archive.org/details/historysuffolkregimentmurphy/page/n30...
