More about William Sutherland

For reasons unknown this man is not listed on the original Dundee Roll of Honour.

William Sutherland   R.A.M.C.

Lance-Corporal Wm. Sutherland, R.A.M.C., attached to the Black Watch, was a son of Mr Frank Sutherland, Midmill.  Although only 20 years of age, he had been three years in France.  Two brothers are also serving.  Previous to enlistment Lance-Corporal Sutherland was employed as a dresser with Baxter Bros. & Co. Ltd.

Dundee Courier 7^th June 1918

Dundonian Underaged Medical Soldier

1787  Later 305229 LCpl William Sutherland RAMC

LCpl Sutherland was an underaged soldier of only 16 years and 10 months old when he enlisted in 1914  and just 17 years old when he deployed  to the BEF on  2 May 1915 with the Dundee raised and recruited 3^rd Highland Field Ambulance on 2 May 1915.  Like many other of that era we can see from his attestation record and his entry on the Register of Births for Mains of Strathmartine that he had inflated his age by some 2 years declaring himself 19 years and 1 month old at attestation

William was born to parents Francis,  (Frank), and Isabella Sutherland in Mains of Strathmartine Parish on the outskirts of Dundee on 16 February 1898.  Frank was a bleacher employed in one of the many bleaching plants along the Dichty Burn.   The family are later recorded living at Midmill further along the Dichty and latterly at Parkhead by Dundee in the same area

He appears from his service record to have served with his Dundonian colleagues in 1^st / 3^rd Highland Field Ambulance from deployment with the Highland Division to the BEF in May 1915 with intermittent period s attached to the RAMC section of the 1/6 Bn Black Watch.  This was not unusual and Divisional Field Ambulance very frequently reinforced the Medical sections of their Divisional Infantry Bns.

To add some context to this it is worth mentioning that during his period of service in the BEF  William will have served in areas from Estaires,  La Gorgue and Le Touret in 1915 and in 1916 on the Somme,  occupying the Dressing station at Becordel,  (Dartmoor Cemy today),  the File Factory at Meulte whilst the continued assaults by the Highland Division on High Wood were taking place,  The 1/3 Highland Field Ambulance providing Medical Support and indeed losing casualties of their own bearers during that time.  They later moved to Authuile very close to Thiepval prior to moving again to support the Highland Div at Beaumont Hamel in November 1916

He will also have been present either with the unit or attached to 1/6 Bn Black Watch with the Highland Div in the April 1917 Battle of Arras and just a few months later at the Third battle of Ypres,  otherwise known as Passchendaele   Thereafter the Highland Division moved again to the Arras sector where they were pushed back in the German Spring Offensive of 1918 and then retake that lost ground to be back in the Arras sector in May 1918 .  It was here that William met his final fate in the trenches East of Roclincourt serving as an RAMC bearer attached to the 1/6 Bn Black Watch where they were responsible for ferrying wounded from the Regimental Aid Post back to the Advanced Dressing Station of 1/3 Highland Field Ambulance at Roclincourt.    It is assumed that it will have been in this area where he was Killed in Action at the age of 20 years and 3 months having served over 3 years in the BEF as he is interred at Roclincourt CWGC Cemetery  A map from the war Diary showing the positions of the ADS,  MDS and various Regimental Aid Posts,  (RAP’s) is attached