A Fine Collection of Medals to Officers Who Died During The Two World Wars

Five: Captain H. Clutterbuck, Royal Lancaster Regiment, formerly Yorkshire Light Infantry, killed in action near Le Cateau, 26 August 1914, and posthumously Mentioned in Despatches

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 6 clasps, Belmont, Modder River, Driefontein, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Belfast (Lieut., York. L.I.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps (Lt., York. L.I.); 1914 Star, with clasp (Capt., R. Lanc. R.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Capt.); together with an Army Temperance Association Medal, in silver, nearly extremely fine or better (6) £1000-1200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Medals to Officers Who Died During The Two World Wars.

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M.I.D. London Gazette 19 October 1914.

Henry Clutterbuck was born at Chacewater, Cornwall on 23 January 1874 and educated at King Edward’s School, Birmingham. He enlisted into the Coldstream Guards on 28 July 1893, being made Lance-Corporal on 22 June 1894; Corporal, 22 May 1896; Lance Sergeant, 12 December 1896; Sergeant, 1 December 1897; gazetted 2nd Lieutenant in the Yorkshire Light Infantry, 25 August 1900; Lieutenant, 23 November 1901; and Captain in the Royal Lancaster Regiment, 20 November 1907.

Captain Clutterbuck was killed in action at Haucourt, France, between Le Cateau and Cambray on 26 August 1914, whilst serving with the 1st Battalion, King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment. He is buried at Haucourt Communal Cemetery, France.

The following is extracted from a letter written by a fellow officer to his widow, published in The Roll of Honour, by The Marquis De Ruvigny: ‘I thought perhaps you might care to hear from me, as I was with your husband the whole of the first day. He and I lay under very heavy shell fire, with about 100 men, for the whole morning and afternoon, and it was entirely through his influence that we kept the men together at all. After dark we went down to a village in order to turn some Germans out with about 30 men, which was all we could collect. We met them there in force, your husband ordered and led a charge against them which was so successful and well led by him that we cleared the village. He was shot leading us against a party a great deal stronger than our lot, who were at one end of the street. Throughout the day he was perfectly marvellous and cheerful in the worst times, and the men have since told me when talking about it, that his coolness and gallantry in leading charges in the street fighting was extraordinary. Of course he was exactly the sort of officer who has made our regiment as famous as it is.’

See Lot 1237 for the medals to his nephew.