No.5827246, Private, Charles Henry RUTTERFORD
Aged 20
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Charles Henry Rutterford was born in Brandon in 1920 (Thetford Q2-1920 4B:684), son of James and Ethel RUTTERFORD (née RUMSEY),
In the 1939 register, at Brick Kiln Farm, Crown Street, Brandon, were his father James W [15-9-1893] a farm labourer and mother Ethel [25-2-1893]. here are two closed records. His brother James William Rutterford was also in the Suffolk Regiment, was killed at Dunkirk this day. see here |
click here to go to the ww2.brandonatwar.co.uk website for more information
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The retreat at Dunkirk was in full swing, the 1st Suffolks on 31st May , having been ordered to extend their front to the left to help the 4th Division in Nieuport had left a gap between companies. Through this gap, at 11:00, the Germans threw a pontoon bridge and established a bridgehead. This led to a temporary withdrawal but the battalion rallied and re-occupied the line During the day attempts were made to throw the Germans back across the canal but these failed, they did however manage to pin the enemy down. The Suffolk were constantly under mortar and shellfire. They could only answer with the weapons each man carried, all other ordnance having been discarded. At 19:00 they were ordered to the beaches at La Panne where boats were waiting to evacuate them. 21 of the battalion are recorded killed on 31st by CWGC |
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details