5th Battalion (Saskatchewan), Canadian Infantry
George Frederick Wilson McCutcheon was born on 24 April 1894 at Brussels, Huron County, Ontario: he was the son of John and Mary McCutcheon who had left Ontario to homestead at Larcombe, Alberta.
A single man, he was working as a hardware clerk at Cereal, Alberta when he enlisted into the Canadian Army at North Battleford, Saskatchewan on 10 April 1916: initially he was posted to 232 Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. He had had no previous military service.
Following initial training in Canada, he embarked from Halifax, Nova Scotia for England, on board the SS Northland on 17 April 1917, arriving in Liverpool on 29 April. The following day he arrived at the Segregation Camp, at Bramshott Camp, Hampshire, a base for the Canadian Army Reserve. Here he joined 15th Canadian Reserve Battalion, prior to being posted to France.
He proceeded to France on 24 November 1917, arriving the following day and joining his new unit, 5th Battalion, Canadian Infantry, on 3 December. On 20 January 1918 he was treated at 4th Canadian Field Ambulance for ‘pyrexia of unknown origin’, which was diagnosed as bronchitis upon admission to No 6 Casualty Clearing Station on 27 January. On 1 February he was transferred to 22nd General Hospital at Camiers. By 16 February 1918 he appeared to have recovered sufficiently to be sent to what may have been recuperation depots, first at Etaples and secondly at Trouville. He was fully discharged to the Re-Enforcement Reserve at Etaples on 17 April and rejoined the 5th Battalion on 20 May.
On 2 September 1918 he sustained a gunshot wound to his neck and right shoulder. This is likely to have been during the Battle of Drocourt-Queant, in which the 5th Battalion fought as part of the 1st Canadian Division. This was an attack on an important part of the German defences known as the Drocourt-Queant Switch Line. He was quickly passed down the casualty line to No. 54 Base Hospital, on the Channel coast at Aubergue, Wimereux. Here he remained, for the most part posted as ‘seriously ill’ until he was fit enough to be sent to England on 19 November 1918, on board the hospital ship Jan Breydel. He was admitted to Naunton Park Hospital, Naunton Lane, Cheltenham, on 20 November. This was a satellite hospital to the 2nd Southern General Hospital, Bristol.
His condition showed no improvement and he died of pneumonia and other complications relating to his wounds, on 20 December 1918, age 23. He was buried in Cheltenham Cemetery, where a CWGC headstone now marks his grave.
Researched by Graham Adams 15 February 2017 (revised)
(Acknowledgement to the Canadian Great War Project; the Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial and Library & Archives of Canada)