Corporal Tom CUTTS Military Medal 6/891 - "displayed the utmost coolness, gallantry, and devotion to duty"

Corporal Tom CUTTS 6/891

Canterbury Regiment

Died 18 April 1977

Aged 93 years

1st New Zealand Expeditionary Force

 

 

Born: 10 Sep 1883, Mexborough, Yorks., England

Occupation: Miner

Red hair; Grey eyes and ruddy complexion

Enlistment address: Roa, NZ

Employer: Paparua Coal Mining co., Roa.

Next of Kin: Rachel CUTTS, Powell Street, Warslan Dale [sic], Yorkshire, England

 

Previous military: 12 months South Africa 28th Battalion, 129th Coy. Imperial Yeomanry. [Disbandment].SEE BOTTOM OF THIS BIO FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

 

September 1915: Admitted to hospital - Rheumatism

 

October 1915: Admitted to hospital - Myalgia

 

12 May 1916: When under orders to embark for active services absenting himself without leave from the draft parade of the Canterbury Regiment until apprehended by the Civil Police Worsbro’Dale [sic] Yorkshire 19 May 1916

[Received detention for 21 days; 8 days pay forfeiture and had to pay 6/1- expenses incurred by Yorkshire constable in effecting his arrest]

 

9 September 1916: Charged with drunkenness in the field. 14 days forfeit pay. Automatically relinquished Lance Corporal title.

 

25 August 1917: 7 days forfeiture of pay for being outside billeting area and obstructing NCO [non commissioned officer].

 

19 Jan 1918: Appointed Corporal

 

8 June 1918: To hospital sick

 

31 May 1918: Awarded Military Medal for acts of gallantry in the field.

 

L.G. 29 August 1918, p10142, Rec No. 2124

"Operations on British Front opposite Beaumont Hamel 26 March 1918 and subsequent days. For conspicuous Gallantry and devotion to duty. On 5th of April 1918, Corporal Cutts was serving as Medical Corporal in the Battalion R.A.P. During the morning, enemy artillery heavily and persistently shelled the immediate vicinity of the Aid Post, eventually making it impossible to continue work there. In proceeding to another position Lieutenant R. Harris R.M.O. was killed outright. Amidst heavy shelling Corporal Cutts selected a new aid post, made two trips to the original post to procure splints and dressings, reorganised his stretcher bearers, and commenced tending the wounded in the shell hole throughout the bombardment. When properly established, he advised Battalion Headquarters of his move. This is the third occasion in the operations of the last six months that this N.C.O. has displayed the utmost coolness, gallantry, and devotion to duty."

 

1 July 1919: Remission of his earlier fines awarded.

 

He married Rachel SLATER at Swinton, Yorks, England and had 3 children:

William Thomas CUTTS born Swinton 11 Nov. 1903

Edith CUTTS born Swinton 17 Oct. 1907 and

Jack CUTTS born Swinton 7 July 1909

[Note that a Rachel CUTTS born 10 May 1884 and died 1972 in NZ(1)]

 

 

Note the different names for the same place within his records.

Warsbro’Dale

Warslow Dale near Barnsley, Yorks. England

Warslan Dale

After googling I’m going to go with Worsbrough. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worsbrough

 

 

 

His Cenotaph database record:

muse.aucklandmuseum.com/databases/Cenotaph/41567.detail?O...

 

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 119, 20 May 1918, Page 8

Notice of his Military Medal award for act of gallantry in the field

paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=s...

 

His military records are available to read online:

archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=20994856&am...

 

His probate is available:

archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=13082042

 

BOER WAR INFORMATION:

39496 Pte. T Cutts, [Westminster Dragoons]129th Squadron, 28th Imperial Yeomanry.

Queen's South Africa Medal (QSA) roll (WO 100/129 pg 182)

QSA with Cape Colony and South Africa 1902 clasps.

Thanks to Mark WILKIE of angloboerwar.com for providing this.

 

Further CUTTS family information:

 

Findmypast.co.uk

BMD Transcripts

Birth:

CUTTS, Tom

Registration district: Doncaster

County: Yorkshire

Year of registration: 1883

Quarter of registration: Oct-Nov-Dec

Vol: 9C Page No: 671

 

Marriage:

CUTTS, Tom married SLATER, Rachel

Registration district: Rotherham

County: Yorkshire

Year of registration: 1904

Vol: 9C Page No: 1162

 

1891 English census

Ecclesiastical Parish of St Margaretts [sic]

Registration district: Rotheram

Civil Parish: Swinton

Address: 102 Queen Street, Swinton, Yorkshire

 

CUTTS family

Maria, Head, Widow, 41, born 1850 Everton, Lincs., Laundress

[The earlier 1871 census shows Maria’s husband as William CUTTS, labourer aged 25 born 1846 in the village of Adwick le Street]

 

George William, Son, Single, 20, born 1871 Mexborough, Yorks., Coal Miner

Alice, Daughter, 14, born 1877 Everton, Lincs., Assisting mother at home

Charles, Son, 11, born 1880 Swinton, Yorks., Scholar

Irena, Daughter, 8, born 1883 Swinton, Yorks., Scholar

Tom, Son, 6, born 1885 Mexborough, Yorks., Scholar

Edith Annie, Daughter, 5, born 1887 Mexborough, Yorks., Scholar

Emily, Daughter, 4, born 1887 Mexborough, Yorks.,, Scholar

Fred, Son, 2, born 1889 Swinton, Yorks.,

 

1901 Census English Census

Ecclesiastical Parish of St Margarets

Registration district: Rotheram

Civil Parish: Swinton

Address: 46 Wath Road, Swinton, Yorkshire

 

Maria, aged 51, is still a widow and has no occupation listed

[In the Death entries there is a Maria CUTTS death registered at Halifax in first quarter of 1938 aged 87, I’d say that would be her]

 

Sarah Jane, another daughter has appeared, Single, 25, born 1876 Old Denaby, Yorks,, confectioners Assistant

 

Tom, 17 [birth year now states 1884], Trammer in coal mine.

 

Fred, 11 [birth year now states 1890]

William, aged 9 born 1892, Swinton, Yorks, another son has appeared indicating Maria was pregnant at the previous census and therefore had only just become a widow at that time. The only William CUTTS dying around this time that is listed in the Parish records collection on FMP was one who was buried on 7 Dec 1890 aged 44 [date of birth c1846 so fits in], place of burial is Sheffield; Dedication: St Philip]. Dates are slightly out with William Jnr’s birth year and William Snr’s death year but this is not unusual for records of the time.

 

1911 Census England

Registration district: Rotheram

Civil Parish: Swinton

Address: 23 Cambridge Street Roman Terrace near Mexborough, Yorkshire

Their house had 4 rooms.

 

CUTTS, Tom, Head, Married, 27 [born 1884], Coal miner Hewer

CUTTS, Rachel, Wife, Married 6 years, 26, born 1885 Ardwick on Dern Yorks.

CUTTS, William Thomas, Son, 5, born 1906 Swinton

CUTTS, Edith, Daughter, 3, born 1908 Swinton

CUTTS, John, Son, 1, born 1910 Swinton

 

Passenger Lists

Mr Tom CUTTS

Departure date: 6 July 1956

Port of dep: London

Dest. Port: New Zealand

Ship: Rangitoto

Contract ticket no.: 1478, CUTTS Mr Tom; class of travel – 1; Port – Wellington; Sex - M, 10.9.83, M[arried], Address in the UK: C/- Mrs Brookes 64 Newlands Pk Grove, Scarborough; retired; Country of last permanent residence: NZ; Country of intended permanent residence:NZ.

[Possibly was coming back from a holiday in the UK ?]

 

 

REFERENCES:

Cenotaph database

Military records

(1)www.dia.govt.nz

 

 

 

Done