Walter Clutterbuck

Major-General Walter Edmond Clutterbuck, (17 November 1894 – 2 February 1987) was a British Army officer who fought during both the First and Second World Wars.

Early life and military career Born in Chippenham, Wiltshire, England, on 17 November 1894, the son of Hardenhuish squire Edmund Henry Clutterbuck and Madeline Charlotte Raikes, Walter Edmond Clutterbuck was educated at Cheltenham College and later entered the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, where, on 17 September 1913, he was commissioned into the Royal Scots Fusiliers of the British Army.

Shortly after the First World War began in August 1914, Clutterbuck was dispatched along with his battalion to England, where it became part of the 21st Brigade of the 7th Division, soon after the outbreak of war. The battalion arrived on the Western Front in October where it fought in the First Battle of Ypres and sustained very heavy casualties. Clutterbuck was promoted to the temporary rank of lieutenant on 31 October 1914 (made permanent in January 1915), and promoted to captain 20 March 1916. From 15 October 1915 he served as adjutant of the 1/10th Battalion, London Regiment, part of the 162nd (East Midland) Brigade of the 54th (East Anglian) Division, in Gallipoli, Egypt and Palestine, later becoming adjutant of the Suffolk Yeomanry, and finally becoming a brigade major with the 232nd Brigade. He ended the war having been awarded the Military Cross (MC) and Bar, the Order of the Crown of Italy, was twice wounded in action and was mentioned in despatches.

In October 1919, after serving in Russia during the Russian Civil War, Clutterbuck married Gwendolin Atterbury Younger; they had one son and two daughters.

Between the wars Clutterbuck spent most of the interwar period as a captain, He was promoted to major on 8 November 1933, later serving as a brigade major with the 156th (Scottish Rifles) Brigade from 1 April 1935 until 11 March 1937. On 30 August 1939, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and became commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers, then in Poona, India. and became General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 1st Infantry Division in succession to Major General Edwin Morris. In June 1942 the division was converted into a 'mixed' division of two infantry brigades and one tank brigade, before reverting to a standard infantry division in November.

In late February 1943 the division left the United Kingdom, destined for French North Africa, where, from late April, it was involved in heavy fighting in the final stages of the Tunisian campaign, mainly under the command of Lieutenant General Charles Allfrey's V Corps, part of Lieutenant General Kenneth Anderson's British First Army until the campaign ended on 13 May.

On 15 August Clutterbuck became GOC of the 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division, a first line TA formation.

Post-war After the war Clutterbuck retired from the army on 18 October 1946, with the honorary rank of major general. He eventually settled in North Yorkshire, where he farmed, and remained there until his death on 2 February 1987 at the age of 92. He was a local councillor and was Chairman of the Bedale Hunt for many years.