Current Information:

Age-34

Enlisted-Croydon

12th Sussex of 116 Brigade, 39th Division,  moved into the front line trenches in the Railway Wood sector of the Ypres salient on 1st February, 1917 where they remained for three days. Shortly after 1 o’clock in the morning of 3rd February, the enemy blew a mine on the front of the right hand company. Surprisingly no hostile attacks nor bombardments followed this and 12th Sussex were able to occupy and consolidate the crater formed by this explosion. The battalion suffered nearly twenty casualties on this day, probably when the mine exploded. One of these was Robert Hutchinson.