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Captain Bellenden Seymour Hutcheson
PERSONAL INFORMATION
MILITARY INFORMATION
- Captain (Army). 1919-06-11 to 1919-12-12
- Captain, 75th Battalion, Infantry (Army). 1917-05-02 to 1919-06-11
- Captain (Army). 1917-03-22 to 1917-05-01
- Captain (Army). 1916-10-31 to 1917-03-22
- Captain (Army). 1915-12-15 to 1916-10-31
- Lieutenant (Army). 1915-11-06 to 1915-12-14
Military Cross (Le Quesnel)
Description: Captain Bellenden S. Hutcheson, Canadian Army 75th Battalion (Toronto Scots). "On August 8, 1918, before the battalion reached the jumping off position, the enemy put down a heavy barrage and many casualties were sustained. This officer worked unceasingly in attending to and dressing the wounded under heavy fire in open ground. During the mopping up of a village (80 miles north of Paris) he passed through the streets several times attending the wounded. He also voluntarily dressed nearly 100 enemy wounded who had been left behind."
Date of award: 1918-11-29
Date of award: 1918-10-07
Source: London Gazette 31043
Comment: Captain Hutcheson's personal description of his actions on August 08-10, 1918 can be found on-line.
Victoria Cross (Drocourt-Queant Line)
Description: "For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty on September 2nd [1918], when under most intense shell, machine-gun and rifle fire, he went through the Queant-Drocourt Support Line with the battalion. Without hesitation and with utter disregard for personal safety he remained on the field until every wounded man had been attended to. He dressed the wounds of a seriously wounded officer under terrific machine-gun and shell fire, and, with the assistance of prisoners and of his own men, succeeded in evacuating him to safety, despite the fact that the bearer party suffered heavy casualties. Immediately afterwards he rushed forward, in full view of the enemy, under heavy machine-gun and rifle fire, to tend a wounded sergeant, and, having placed him in a shell hole, dressed his wounds. Captain Hutcheson performed many similar gallant acts, and, by his coolness and devotion to duty, many lives were saved."
Date of award: 1918-12-13
Date of award: 1918-12-13
Source: London Gazette LG 31067
Comment: The wounded officer mentioned in the citation was Captain Robert Dunlop of B Company, 75th Battalion. Captain Dunlop died of his wounds on September 07, 1918. The wounded sergeant was Sergeant McCullough of the Scout Section, 75th Battalion. Captain Hutcheson's personal description of his actions on September 02, 1918 can be found on-line.
RESEARCH INFORMATION
religion - Episcopalian
http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=history/firstwar/vcwinners/bellenden-hutcheson
Source: (jayelbee additions), LAC files
Mentioned in "Somewhere In France, The Letters of John Cannon Stothers" at pg 67
[Lieutenant Army Canadian Army Medical Corps Military District 2 Hamilton Depot Previously served with the 13th Royal Regiment. Enlisted at the CAMC Depot in Hamilton, Ontario. Captain Army Canadian Army Medical Corps 97th Battalion Headquarters Company Promoted to Captain and appointed Battalion Medical Officer with the 97th Battalion at Exhibition Park in Toronto. He sailed with the 97th Battalion aboard SS Olympic from Halifax to Liverpool, September 18-25, 1916. The battalion was posted to Seaford on arrival. Captain Army Canadian Army Medical Corps Canadian Army Medical Corps Depot Seaford DepotAppointed Acting Senior Medical Officer for the 13th Provisional Brigade between November 18-21.
Attached for duty and administration to the 7th Reserve Battalion on January 01, 1917, with the reorganization of the reserve battalion system. He was hospitalized with Pleurisy between January 10 to March 08. While hospitalized, he was attached to the office of the Director of Medical Services, London for administrative purposes.
After a week of convalescent furlough he was attached to the CANC Depot at Westenhanger pending assignment overseas.
Captain Army Canadian Army Medical Corps District Depot 2 Toronto Depot Posted to the CAMC Depot, District Depot 2 on arrival in Canada. From June 30 to October 02 he was attached to Clearing Services Command at Quebec City. Captain Army Canadian Army Medical Corps Canadian Army Medical Corps Depot Boulogne DepotProceeded to France on March 22, and was attached to the 2nd Stationary Hospital at Outreau shortly after arrival.
He was attached for duty to the 11th Field Ambulance on April 11. Three days later he was seconded as relief to the 76th (Imperial) Artillery Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery. He later wrote of his experiences with the 76th Brigade, including a description of serving under counter-battery shell fire. (It can be found on-line.) On April 29 he returned to the 11th Field Ambulance.
Captain Army Canadian Army Medical Corps 75th Battalion Headquarters CompanyHe was attached to the 75th Battalion as battalion medical officer, reporting to the battalion at Canada Camp on May 02, 1917. His arrival is noted in the battalion war diary.
From December 21, 1917 to February 19, 1918 he was hospitalized with Trench Fever. He rejoined the battalion at Camblain Chatelain.
On August 08 the 75th Battalion attacked Le Quesnel. He was active in the field during this attack, and for his actions he was recommended for the Military Cross. Less than a month later, on September 02, he was again in the field with the battalion during the attack on the Drocourt-Queant Line. For his actions that day, he was recommended for the Victoria Cross.
He was sent on leave to England from September 15 to October 03. Four days after he returned, the award of the MC is announced to the battalion. It was published in Issue 31043 of the London Gazette on November 29.
On December 13 the London Gazette announced the award of the Victoria Cross, LG 31067. To that date, it was the only VC awarded to a member of the 11th Brigade.
He was granted leave to England from January 16 to February 08, 1919. The 75th Battalion returned to England on May 02 and he was attached to the CAMC Depot at Witley. The following day he was attached to the Canadian Command Camp, Bramshott pending return to Canada.
He was presented with his VC by the King on May 27.
The 75th Battalion returned to Canada aboard SS Mauretania from Liverpool to Halifax, May 30 to June 06, 1919.
Victoria Cross Drocourt-Queant Line "For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty on September 2nd [1918], when under most intense shell, machine-gun and rifle fire, he went through the Queant-Drocourt Support Line with the battalion. Without hesitation and with utter disregard for personal safety he remained on the field until every wounded man had been attended to. He dressed the wounds of a seriously wounded officer under terrific machine-gun and shell fire, and, with the assistance of prisoners and of his own men, succeeded in evacuating him to safety, despite the fact that the bearer party suffered heavy casualties. Immediately afterwards he rushed forward, in full view of the enemy, under heavy machine-gun and rifle fire, to tend a wounded sergeant, and, having placed him in a shell hole, dressed his wounds. Captain Hutcheson performed many similar gallant acts, and, by his coolness and devotion to duty, many lives were saved." The wounded officer mentioned in the citation was Captain Robert Dunlop of B Company, 75th Battalion. Captain Dunlop died of his wounds on September 07, 1918. The wounded sergeant was Sergeant McCullough of the Scout Section, 75th Battalion. Captain Hutcheson's personal description of his actions on September 02, 1918 can be found on-line. Military Cross Le Quesnel Captain Bellenden S. Hutcheson, Canadian Army 75th Battalion (Toronto Scots). "On August 8, 1918, before the battalion reached the jumping off position, the enemy put down a heavy barrage and many casualties were sustained. This officer worked unceasingly in attending to and dressing the wounded under heavy fire in open ground. During the mopping up of a village (80 miles north of Paris) he passed through the streets several times attending the wounded. He also voluntarily dressed nearly 100 enemy wounded who had been left behind." Captain Hutcheson's personal description of his actions on August 08-10, 1918 can be found on-line. ]