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| Page revised: 14 January, 2008 |
Major Brett Mackay CLOUTMAN VC |
| Born: | Muswell Hill, London - 7 November 1891 | 
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| Died: | Highgate, London - 15 August 1971 | ||
| Burial details: | Cremated at Golders Green; ashes spread near his brother's grave in Norfolk Cemetery, Albert, France. | ||
| Corps service: | Commissioned into the Kent Fortress Royal Engineers.
He was called to the Bar in 1926. From 1939-45 he served in World
War Two and in 1947 became Senior Chairman of the War Pensions Tribunals.He
was a Senior Official Referee of the Supreme Court of Judicature 1954-63
he eventually became His Honour Lieutentant Colonel Sir Brett Cloutman VC
MC |
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| VC awarded: | Won VC at Quartes Bridge at Pont-sur-Sambre on 6 November 1918. (First World War 1914-18) His was the last VC to be won during the First World War. | ||
| VC unit: | 59 Field Company. | ||
| VC presented: | VC presented by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 13 February 1919. | ||
| VC citation: | On 6th November, 1918 at Pont-sur- Sambre, France, Major
Cloutman, after reconnoitring the river crossings, found the Quartes
Bridge almost intact but prepared for demolition. Leaving his party
under cover he went forward alone, swam across the river and having
cut the 'leads' from the charges returned the same way, despite the
fact that the bridge and all the approaches were swept by enemy shells
and machine-gun fire. Although the bridge was blown up later in the
day by other means, the abutments remained intact. (London Gazette: 31 January 1919) |
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| VC location: | Royal Engineers Museum | ||
| Background: | Cloutman won his VC on the third day of the second battle
of Sambre (4 November 1918), which was part of the final offensive
of the war. The attack was opened on a front of 30 miles from Valenciennes
to the Sambre, north of Oisy. Pont-sur-Sambre, on the river Sambre,
was one of the corps objectives. Cloutman was sent to reconnoitre
the river for crossings. He recorded, on the night 6 November 1918,
in the 59 Field Company War Diary his version of the event that won
him his VC:SAMBRE R is reconnoitred for crossings - and opposite bank found strongly held - and 1 Girder bridge [the Quartes bridge at Pont-sur-Sambre] is found not destroyed, but with charges on - leads to these charges are cut, - but after night fall the bridgehead was formed, fresh charges were set and bridge blown up. Coy moves to La Porquerie [about 1 mile west of the village].Other Sappers VC recipients in this battle were:
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| Source:
Additional material: SC Fenwick, FoREM Links to further reading:
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Royal Engineers Museum main site
