Rutherford John Allen Capt

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Surname: Rutherford;

Forename(s): John Allen;

Initials: JA;

Rank: Capt;

Born in: Bootle, Lancs;

Previous Battalion: 10 of;

Previous Regiment: Chesh Regt;

MGC Branch: Infantry;

MGC Unit: 7 Coy;

How killed: KIA;

Where: France;

When killed: 24-Aug-1916;

Other Data: Roll of Honour, Vol II, Sect 3, p 267 - Portrait
See: History of 25 Div: p 114
death noted in war diary 24/8/1916 - killed by stray bullet before operations started

John was the only son, the eldest of at least two children, of
John Adam (a colliery agent) and Agnes Jane Rutherford
(nee Allen) of Holcombe Brook, near Manchester.
Educated at the Secondary School for Boys, Bootle, he
entered Liverpool University in September 1905, with a Tate
Scholarship, and took a four year course in electrical
engineering. He obtained a Bachelors degree in 1907, gained honours in 1908 and his Masters
degree in 1914.
After working in Manchester for a short time he went, in 1910, to work in Rangoon as
assistant engineer for the Rangoon Electric Tramway & Supply Company. He served in the
Rangoon Volunteer Rifles, rising to the rank of sergeant in December 1913. He came to
England with the First Burma Contingent in January 1915. The following month he was
commissioned in the 10th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment. Promoted to lieutenant on 2nd April,
he went to France on 25th September.
On 12th January 1916 he transferred to the Machine Gun Corps and was sent to Bailleul,
where he organised, commanded and trained the 7th Company for a couple of months until it
was ready to take the field.
A brother officer wrote: / want to let you know ..what splendid work he did and what
admiration we had for him... My impression is of a relentlessly hard worker, exacting at times to those
under him but all through with a determination to maintain the utmost efficiency and attention to
duty... Four of our guns were to go across following an attack and occupy the captured trench. He
arranged everything thoroughly beforehand, but, not content, went by himself to see that all should go
well. He had not the satisfaction of seeing the highly successful result, for a bullet struck him in the
head about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, a few minutes before the attack went over. He lies buried, as near
as I can say, in the old German trench system, called the 'Leipzig Salient,'about half a mile south of
Thiepval. Close to him lie Colonel Brown* of the 1st Wiltshire's, who made the attack, and Bird*, one
of our officers who was killed the same night, and he could not lie in finer company.

VIC medal offered eBay Oct '24;

Other Notes: RUTHERFORD, Captain, JOHN ALLEN, 7th Bn. Machine Gun Corps (Inf). 24th August 1916. Age 27. Son of John Adam Rutherford, of 2, Harbord Terrace, Waterloo, Liverpool. Pier and Face 5 C and 12 C. Thiepval Memorial - Somme, France.;

Is photo available? Yes, see VMGCRA Patreon

END OF RECORD.

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