Thomas Henry Clutterbuck

Memorial: Thornbury - St Mary's Church

Regiment: The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment

Medals: British War Medal, Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 1914 - 1921, Victory Medal

Rank and number: Private 23820

Parents: William and Mary Louisa Clutterbuck

Marital status: Single

Home address: 13 St Mary Street, Thornbury, Bristol

Date of birth: 13/08/1897

Place of birth: Thornbury, Bristol

Date of death: 06/04/1917

Buried/Commemorated at: Thornbury Cemetery (church. 570.), Thornbury, Bristol

Age: 20

Further information:

Bronze Tablet and Wooden Memorial Board

Thomas Henry Clutterbuck, known as Harry, had two brothers and four sisters. His parents had lived in Horfield, Iron Acton and Cromhall before settling in Thornbury where his mother, Mary Louisa, ran a grocery shop in St Mary Street. Harry’s father, William, appears to have been a well-known character in the town and district, noted variously as an agricultural worker, distress bailiff for the county court and terrier man with the Berkeley Hunt. He was a keen cricketer, both as player and umpire

As a young lad, Harry regularly attended St Mary’s Church Sunday School, was doorkeeper at the church for some years and organ blower at the time he joined up

Harry was the first to sign up at the first recruiting meeting to be held at Thornbury, joining the 4th Glosters in November 1914 at the age of 17. He then spent some time in the Army Cycling Corps but was probably sent to France in about August 1915, possibly having been transferred into the infantry. Harry was wounded in the hand and wrist by shrapnel in July 1916 ‘in the big push’ for the Somme and was sent back to England to Manchester Hospital to recover

In December Harry was transferred again, this time returning to France with the 10th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. He was extremely severely wounded by a bomb on 26th January 1917. He was in a Clearing Station hospital for two to three weeks and then was repatriated to be nursed at the Metropolitan Hospital, London. Harry was there for seven weeks. His mother was with him for two weeks, during which time his condition seemed to improve, but soon after parting he had a relapse and died about six days later

Harry’s body was brought home for his funeral. His coffin, covered with a Union Jack, was conveyed to St Mary’s Church on the town’s hand hearse. Many members of the local Volunteer Corps were in attendance

In a letter, Dr Henry West of the Metropolitan Hospital wrote to Harry’s mother, ‘I feel you may be comforted to know that having seen the condition in which he was, I can express the opinion that nothing that could have been done either medically or surgically could have prevented his death.....May he rest in peace – he was so patient and sweet – and may you and yours be comforted this Easter'

By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):

Thornbury Roots website: Thornbury & District Museum Research Group, Forces War Records and CWGC