d.12/05/1941
Royal Army Medical Corps. Major-General, fought in the Boer War
Relatives
Research:
Major-General Alexander Arthur Sutton, C.B., DSO was born on 30th November 1861 in Bhujcutch, India. He was the son of Lieutenant Henry Sutton of the Bombay Artillery, Honourable East India Company.
He qualified as a Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians and Member of the Royal College of Surgeons at Edinburgh graduating on 3rd May 1884. He entered the Army (Royal Army Medical Corps) as a Surgeon on 1st August 1885.
He was appointed Surgeon-Captain and Senior Medical Officer at Purandhar, India.
He became Surgeon-Major on 1 August 1897 and served during operations in Sierra Leone, 1898 to 1899, in the Protectorate Expedition, and was severely wounded; he received the West African Medal with clasp.
He again saw active service in South Africa during the Boer War (1899-1902) throughout the Transvaal and Orange Free State (including operations at Paardeberg where he was slightly wounded).
He was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 16th April 1901], and received the Queen’s Medal with four clasps, the King’s Medal with three clasps, and was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 27th September 1901]: “Alexander Arthur Sutton, Major, Royal Army Medical Corps. In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa“. The Insignia were sent to Lord Roberts 18 January 1902, and were presented by Major General G Barton, CB, in South Africa. He was promoted Lieutenant Colonel 1st August 1905.
On 28th November 1887 he married Annie Aubert Dunsford, daughter of General Henry Dunsford.
In the 1911 Census he is shown as residing with his family at Cowper House, Cowper Road, Berkhamsted.
He served during the Great War during which he was promoted Colonel 1 March 1915. He was commandant of the Royal Army Medical Corps School of Instruction between 20 September 1913 and 3 October 1915. He was appointed Temporary Surgeon-General between 3rd August 1916 and 25th December 1917 and was promoted to Major-General on 26th December 1917. He served as Deputy Director of Medical Services, Salonika Army, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force; British Salonika Force, 11 November 1915 to 14 May 1917.
He was created a Commander of the Order of the Bath on 1st January 1917 and was awarded the Order of St Sava by the King of Serbia on 28th January 1918.
Following the death of Annie Aubert in 1912, he married in 1917, Mary Wilson, who was a Principal Matron in Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service serving in Salonika. She was a holder of the Royal Red Cross medal with bar (an unusual honour – she received the bar at an investiture with the King).
With his wife, Annie Aubert, he had 4 children:
- William Henry Arthur Douglas Sutton (1890-1953 and also buried in the cemetery)
- Evelyn Alexander Sutton (1891-1964): Major-General E A Sutton CB, CBE, MC, RAMC was a Honorary Surgeon to King George VI and served as General Eisenhower’s Deputy Head of Medical Services at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force.
- Phyllis May Sutton (1893-1984)
- Winifred Helen Sutton (1895 – 1981)
He died in Tunbridge Wells on 12th May 1941 of a coronary thrombosis and was buried with his first wife in Berkhampstead’s Rectory Lane Cemetery.