McCUTCHEON, George FredericK Wilson

DIVISIONAL UNIT:     1st Canadian Infantry Division                                                                                                                                              2nd Infantry Brigade                                                                                                                                                              5th Battalion - Western Cavalry                                                                                                                                            Canadian Infantry Corps                                                                                            RESIDENCE:              Cereal - Alberta                                                                                                                      BORN:                        Brussels - Gray / Morris Townships - County of Huron - Ontario                                    CEMETERY:               Cheltenham Cemetery - Prestbury - Gloucestershire - England                                                                                          A1     975                                                                                                                          PARENTS:                  Mr. John and Mary McCutcheon - Lacombe - Alberta                                                                       Personal:                     His height was 6 feet and his weight was 145 pounds. He had a fair complexion with blue eyes                                        and sandy hair. He was employed as a clerk in Cereal - Alberta and he was raised in the                                                  Methodist faith.

George and his family were living in the Brussels area at the time of the 1901 census. At some point prior to the 1906 census the McCutcheon family moved to the Assiniboia area of Saskatchewan and at a later date the family moved to Lacombe -  Alberta.                                                                                                                                          In mid April of 1917 Private McCutcheon embarked from Canada and arrived in Liverpool near the end of the month. He then goes to the 15th Reserve Battalion based at Bramshott - Hampshire which was then followed by him going overseas into France on November 24, 1917. Following this he moved toward his unit and joins the 5th Battalion in the field on December 3, 1917.                                                                                                                                    On the morning of September 1, 1918 the 5th Battalion was set and preparing to advance and take their objective which was Orix and Opal Trenches and following that were to establish outposts so they would be able to observe the Drocourt-Queant system.                                                                                                                                      The weather was good with winds from the north-east with good visibility and dry ground. At 5 am on September 1, 1918 the artillery barrage began to fall onto the enemy positions and this was the signal for the 5th Battalion to begin their advance and by 5:30 am their objectives had been achieved. The objectives were the supposedly iron clad defences of the Drocourt-Queant Line. The advancing Battalions had no difficulty and the enemy Wojan Line was doomed and fell during the Canadian advance.    During the time the 5th Battalion was advancing they were subject to enemy artillery fire at 9 am and this forced the 5th Battalion back to their starting point. At 1 pm the 5th Battalion again advanced and by 1:45 pm they had re-established themselves back into their morning objectives.  At 6 pm the enemy counter-attacked and from that point and all during the night there was hand to hand fighting. The 5th held onto all their positions.                                                                                                                                                   During the advance, the advance and fighting was bloody as well as fierce and the Battalion casualties were 106 men killed or wounded. When the afternoon advance was completed and successful there were another 53 men had been killed or wounded. The advancing Battalions at the end of this day consolidated their positions and then occupied their trenches east of Hendecourt / Lens / Cagnicourt / Dury Road.                                                              We were able to establish that Private McCutcheon died on September 1st ans the 5th Battalion was not involved in the advance of September 2, 1918.                                                                                                                          From our research and from the information available to us from his military files we know that Private McCutcheon received wounds to his neck, his thorax, his right shoulder and chest and on September 5, 1918 was admitted into No. 54 British General Hospital - Aubergue and immediately listed as dangerously ill. On November 19th he was taken off the dangerously ill list and transferred to No. 2 Stationary Hospital - Bristol. Five days later on          November 24th he is again diagnosed as dangerously ill and he remained that way until his death on December 20, 1918.