Driver Charles Robert Sutton (1366)

Not long after the beginning of the war, whilst at their battle station on the Isle of Wight Malvern’s Territorial Artillery suffered its first casualty. Driver Charles Sutton the son of Wyche butcher Edward Sutton died of illness at the Military Hospital Carisbrooke. Official sources record that he died on the 21st October, but the local newspaper, the Malvern News recorded it as Sunday the 19th.

Before being mobilised he was employed at Warwick House, Great Malvern. The body was brought on a gun carriage by 8 horses from Parkhurst to Cowes. The funeral took place at Malvern Cemetery on the afternoon of Wednesday 22nd October, Rev J Cathcart Davies of the Wyche officiating. The commanding officer of the brigade, Colonel R E Lyon was present along with Captain Thomson and a detachment of the Brigade – Sgt Mjr Garbutt was in charge of the firing party. Other mourners included members of the local Oddfellows Lodge, of which Sutton was a member naturally his family, in particular his mother, father, brothers James and Ernest and his sisters.