MY WAR DEAD
SUTTIE, Grenado - 8th August 1918.
Grenado Suttie was born in North Sydney, New South Wales, in 1888, being the second child of Daniel Bowles Suttie, an auctioneer, and his wife who had been born Florence Agatha Chapman. The unusual forename of 'Grenado' was inherited from his maternal grandfather, Granado George John Chapman, who had emigrated from England soon after his marriage in 1852. Granado Chapman came from a wealthy and well-connected family, his father having been a doctor and his grandfather, Sir John Chapman, a physician to King George III, though Granado himself seems to have been rather dissolute and to have fallen out with his family.
Little is known of Grenado Suttie's life and he does not appear to have married. It is clear that he enlisted in the Australian army and served with the 5th Brigade of the Australian Field Artillery but no details of his service are known. Grenado died on 8th August 1918, aged 29, and was buried initially in a makeshift cemetery at the White Chateau in Villers-Bretonneux, his body was later moved to the Adelaide Cemetery in the same village. He appears to have died during the advance of Australian forces in the Battle of Amiens on that day and a report of his death was made on 24th September at Abbeville by a colleague, Gunner C H Jackson, also of the 5th Brigade :
There were also other reports of Grenado's death, all recorded in the archives of the "Australian Red Cross Society Wounded and Missing". Driver J McCobb wrote, on 9th October 1918 :
On 14th October 1918, Bmdr. H C Brown wrote :
An eye-witness, Bmdr. A F Cocke, stated on 15th October 1918 :
Another man, Gunner S L Smith, reported on 16th October 1918 :
Yet another report was made by an A J Mitchell on 17th October 1918 :
Gunner A Sexton stated on 17th October 1918 :
Finally, Bmdr Arthur Lawrence Harkness stated on 18th October 1918 :
All of the above reports of Suttie's death are from an on-line archive at http://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/pdf/RCDIG1060558--1-.PDF
It is clear that Grenado Suttie's death was sudden and violent, although the precise details appear to be unclear. It is not known what, if any, medals he was awarded.
Grenado Suttie was my 3rd cousin, three times removed.
"I saw Bmbdr. Grey Suttie just after he and a man named Underhill were hit by a bomb which exploded at the side of the road near Warfusy in the daytime asthey were passing with the limber. The artillery was advancing to take up new positions. The Pioneers were clearing up a dump and throwing the rubbish aside and the bomb exploded as Suttie passed with his limber. He was wounded badly in the chest and hit in other places. He died in ADS. I don't know where he was buried. G. Suttie was a N.S.W. boy, fine lump of a chap, 5ft 8/9, dark, about 24 years old. He was a Bmbdr in QM's stores."
"I knew him well and he was in my Unit. He joined up with us in Australia and I trained with him at Alberry Park, Sydney, and we came over in the 'SS Persic' to Egypt together and we were together in Egypt for a few months training nearly three years ago. He was tall, clean-shave, had dark eyes and was slim. He used to be, I believe, a Chaff Agent in Australia. He was storeman in France. I did not see anything myself but the QMS MacDonald 5th A.F.A. 13th Battery, told me that they were fetching stores together following us up in the advance between Villers Bretonneux and Warfose when they went over some hidden German bombs which exploded, wounded Suttie severely. The QMS was riding a horse in front and escaped. Suttie was taken to the D/Station and died there. The QMS told me that he saw his grave at the White Chateau, Villers Bretonneux, and a cross, etc., was put up."
He was about 5 feet 8, medium build, dark, clean shaven, about 26 years old. He came from Albury on the Murray river in Victoria. He was storeman in the the Battery, and on the 8th the Battery advanced. Suttie was bringing up supplies on a GS Waggon along the road leading from Villers Bretonneux to Boyonvillers and had got to a point about level with Marcel Cave, but about 600 yards to the west of it, when an explosion took place from something on the road (reason unknown) and he was wounded very badly in, I believe, the head and chest. He died within 24 hours and was buried, I believe, in the grounds of the chateau at Villers Bretonneux.
Suttie was killed in Villers Bretonneux. There is a mixed cemetery there. He was in the QM store and on 8th August was coming up. They had gone ahead with the Pioneers and we were advancing. The Pioneers happened to throw a shell just beside him and he was killed. He was buried in the cemetery.
I didn't know him very well, though he had been with the Batty. a good while. He was of medium height and build and clean shaven. He was in the 13th Batty. I believe he came from Albury, N S Wales. I was quite close and saw everything. We were at Villers Bretonneux and were just going to move up to the line. The Pioneers were clearing the wood to let us pass and cases of ammunition had to be moved and as the Pioneers were moving the cases of ammunition one case exploded and wounded Suttie somewhere in the head. I saw him hit and takedn to the D/station and the next I heard was that he had died. I also heard that he was buried and some of the boys in the Battery saw his grave.
This report was apparently corroborated by a Driver F Evans.
On August 8th near Villers Bretonneux, G Suttie 7277, who was the QM's assistant and and belonged to the 13th Bn., was driving in a G S waggon when it was blown up. He was thrown off and the wheel went over his head and he died soon after. I was not there myself but Sgt Dave Ripp, also of the 13th Bn., I think was there at the time and knew all about it and told me this about 6 weeks ago. Sgt Ripp, who also belonggs to the 13th Bn., is now attached to the A G B D at Havre and is instructing on gas there.
On August 8th at Villers Bretonneux. He was on a G S waggon, following Battery to take up position. He was hit by a piece of bomb that was lying in the road and was thrown aside by Pioneers who were clearing up. One other man out of Battery and 3 Pioneers wounded by same explosion. He died at Dressing Station same day. Hit in head and was unconscious. I was close by at the time and saw it happen. He was buried next day at the White Chateau, about 1 kil out of village. Cross erected. I haven't seen grave but cross was made by the Battery. He was a fine man, was bomb storeman. Christian name Gray, came from north coast N S Wales.
I was told by eye witness of the 13th Battery that Suttie - known to us as "Gray" Suttie - had been accidentally killed when fetching up rations at Villers Bretonneux by a Minen-Werfer bomb with which some of our men were playing. The ground was held.