Bertine Sutton
Encyclopedia
Air Marshal
Sir Bertine Entwisle Sutton KBE
, CB
, DSO
, MC
, RAF
(17 December 1886–28 September 1946) was a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps
during World War I
and a senior officer in the Royal Air Force
from the 1920s to the 1940s.
, the son of the Reverend Alfred Sutton and his wife Bertha Frances Entwisle, and grandson of James Sutton
of Shardlow
. He was educated at Eton
and University College, Oxford
from where he gained his Bachelor of Arts
in 1908.
After graduation, Sutton worked in a solicitor's office in London until he was employed by Hutchinson
the publishing company. Sutton had aimed to become a lawyer but the outbreak of the Great War
resulted in him entering the Army.
Officer Training Corps as a private soldier. By October of that year, Sutton had been commissioned as a second lieutenant
in the Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry
and was sent to France
. In early 1916, Sutton was posted to No. 5 Squadron
of the Royal Flying Corps, where he served as an observer flying officer. Later that year, Sutton was appointed an RFC wing adjutant and it is likely that he underwent flying training some time in the middle part of 1916.
In 1917, Sutton first served as a pilot and then flight commander on No. 9 Squadron flying RE8s
on the Western Front. In October 1917, Sutton was promoted (temporarily) to the rank of major
and appointed Officer Commanding No. 7 Squadron
, a position he held for the remained of the War.
Sutton was transferred to the Royal Air Force on its establishment and subsequently relinquished his commission in Westmorland and Cumberland Territorial Force.
's Staff College at Camberley
and he subsequently served on the directing staff of the newly established RAF Staff College, Andover
for the next four years. After attending a refresher flying course at the Central Flying School
, Sutton was appointed the Officer Commanding, No. 1 (Apprentices) Wing at No. 1 School of Technical Training
in the summer of 1926. From late 1929 to 1932, Sutton served on the directing staff of the Imperial Defence College.
1932 saw Sutton posted to India
as the Officer Commanding No. 1 (Indian) Group. In late 1934 Sutton took up the appointment of senior air staff office at the headquarters of RAF India.
With the pre-Second World War build up of the RAF, Sutton was recalled to Great Britain and served as Air Officer Commanding
(AOC) No. 2 (Bomber) Group
, the AOC No. 22 Group
and then the AOC No. 21 (Training) Group.
, Sutton was AOC No. 21 (Training) Group. In November 1940, Sutton continued in his training role when he was appointed AOC No. 24 (Training) Group. The next year Sutton returned to staff college work, this time as the Commandant of the RAF Staff College at Bulstrode Park.
In the summer of 1942 Sutton was appointed to the Air Council
as the Air Member for Personnel
(AMP). During his time as AMP, Sutton was required to deal with various manning problems, including the British Army's requirement for more personnel in anticipation of D-day
and the Battle of Normandy
.
, which is near Newbury
in Berkshire
, his home and he planned to enjoy his library, pictures, and garden. However, by this time Sutton was not in good health and he died just over a year later on 28 September 1946.
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Bertine Entwisle Sutton KBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
, RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(17 December 1886–28 September 1946) was a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and a senior officer in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
from the 1920s to the 1940s.
Early life
Bertine Sutton was born in KensingtonKensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, the son of the Reverend Alfred Sutton and his wife Bertha Frances Entwisle, and grandson of James Sutton
James Sutton (Shardlow)
James Sutton was an English boatbuilder, canal boat carrier and owner of salt works. He became High Sheriff of Derbyshire....
of Shardlow
Shardlow
Shardlow is a village in Derbyshire, England about 8 km southeast of Derby and 12 km southwest of Nottingham. It is part of the civil parish of Shardlow and Great Wilne, and the district of South Derbyshire. It is also very close to the border with Leicestershire which follows the River Trent, ...
. He was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and University College, Oxford
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
from where he gained his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1908.
After graduation, Sutton worked in a solicitor's office in London until he was employed by Hutchinson
Hutchinson (publisher)
Hutchinson & Co. was an English book publisher, founded in 1887. The company merged with Century Publishing in 1985 to form Century Hutchinson, and was folded into the British Random House Group in 1989, where it remains as an imprint in the Cornerstone Publishing division...
the publishing company. Sutton had aimed to become a lawyer but the outbreak of the Great War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
resulted in him entering the Army.
Military service during World War I
Sutton had been an original members of the Oxford University mounted infantry and in 1914 when he joined the Inns of CourtInns of Court
The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. All such barristers must belong to one such association. They have supervisory and disciplinary functions over their members. The Inns also provide libraries, dining facilities and professional...
Officer Training Corps as a private soldier. By October of that year, Sutton had been commissioned as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry
Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry
The Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry was a Yeomanry , Cavalry Regiment of the British Army formed in 1828. They were a part of the Imperial Yeomanry during the Boer War and would remain in Great Britain for the first years of the Great War but went to sail for France in 1917 to fight in the...
and was sent to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In early 1916, Sutton was posted to No. 5 Squadron
No. 5 Squadron RAF
No. 5 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is the operator of the new Sentinel R1 Airborne STand-Off Radar aircraft and is based at RAF Waddington.-History:As No...
of the Royal Flying Corps, where he served as an observer flying officer. Later that year, Sutton was appointed an RFC wing adjutant and it is likely that he underwent flying training some time in the middle part of 1916.
In 1917, Sutton first served as a pilot and then flight commander on No. 9 Squadron flying RE8s
Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8
The Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 was a British two-seat biplane reconnaissance and bomber aircraft of the First World War designed by John Kenworthy. Intended as a replacement for the vulnerable B.E.2, the R.E.8 was more difficult to fly, and was regarded with great suspicion at first in the Royal...
on the Western Front. In October 1917, Sutton was promoted (temporarily) to the rank of major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
and appointed Officer Commanding No. 7 Squadron
No. 7 Squadron RAF
No. 7 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Boeing Chinook HC.2 from RAF Odiham, Hampshire.-Formation and early years:No. 7 Squadron was formed at Farnborough Airfield on 1 May 1914 as the last squadron of the RFC to be formed before the First World War, but has been disbanded and reformed...
, a position he held for the remained of the War.
Sutton was transferred to the Royal Air Force on its establishment and subsequently relinquished his commission in Westmorland and Cumberland Territorial Force.
RAF service during the inter-War years
In 1921 Sutton attended the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
's Staff College at Camberley
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
and he subsequently served on the directing staff of the newly established RAF Staff College, Andover
RAF Staff College, Andover
The RAF Staff College at RAF Andover was the first Royal Air Force staff college to be established. Its role was the training of officers in the administrative, staff and policy apects of air force matters.-Foundation:...
for the next four years. After attending a refresher flying course at the Central Flying School
Central Flying School
The Central Flying School is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. Established in 1912 it is the longest existing flying training school.-History:...
, Sutton was appointed the Officer Commanding, No. 1 (Apprentices) Wing at No. 1 School of Technical Training
No. 1 School of Technical Training
No.1 School of Technical Training is the Royal Air Force's aircraft engineering school, based at RAF Halton from 1919 to 1993, as the Home of the Aircraft Apprentice scheme...
in the summer of 1926. From late 1929 to 1932, Sutton served on the directing staff of the Imperial Defence College.
1932 saw Sutton posted to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
as the Officer Commanding No. 1 (Indian) Group. In late 1934 Sutton took up the appointment of senior air staff office at the headquarters of RAF India.
With the pre-Second World War build up of the RAF, Sutton was recalled to Great Britain and served as Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding is a title given in the air forces of Commonwealth nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, an air vice marshal might be the AOC 38 Group...
(AOC) No. 2 (Bomber) Group
No. 2 Group RAF
Number 2 Group is a Group of the Royal Air Force which was first activated in 1918, served from 1918–20, from 1936 through the Second World War to 1947, from 1948 to 1958, from 1993 to 1996, was reactivated in 2000, and is today part of Air Command....
, the AOC No. 22 Group
No. 22 Group RAF
Number 22 Group is one of only three groups currently active in the Royal Air Force, falling under the responsibility of Deputy Commander-in-Chief in Air Command. Its current full title is Number 22 Group and it is responsible for RAF training policy and controlling the Royal Air Force College...
and then the AOC No. 21 (Training) Group.
World War II
At the start of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Sutton was AOC No. 21 (Training) Group. In November 1940, Sutton continued in his training role when he was appointed AOC No. 24 (Training) Group. The next year Sutton returned to staff college work, this time as the Commandant of the RAF Staff College at Bulstrode Park.
In the summer of 1942 Sutton was appointed to the Air Council
Air Council
Air Council was the governing body of the Royal Air Force until the merger of the Air Ministry with the other armed forces ministries to form the Ministry of Defence. It was succeeded by the Air Force Board.- Composition :...
as the Air Member for Personnel
Air Member for Personnel
The Air Member for Personnel is the senior Royal Air Force officer who is responsible for personnel matters and is a member of the Air Force Board...
(AMP). During his time as AMP, Sutton was required to deal with various manning problems, including the British Army's requirement for more personnel in anticipation of D-day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
and the Battle of Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
.
Retirement
Sutton retired from the RAF on 7 June 1945, just prior to the end of World War II. Sutton made Little Park Farm at Crookham CommonCrookham Common
Crookham Common is a common adjoining the hamlet of Crookham in the English county of Berkshire and within the civil parish of Greenham. It is located at the eastern perimeter of the RAF Greenham Common complex.-External links:*...
, which is near Newbury
Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, his home and he planned to enjoy his library, pictures, and garden. However, by this time Sutton was not in good health and he died just over a year later on 28 September 1946.