Trafford

Born - 27th July 1883, Waverley, New South Wales, Australia, the son of
John Clement and Elizabeth Ann Rutter, Coton House, Queens Road, Ashton on
Mersey.     John Clement Rutter was the son of John L. & Harriett E.
Rutter.  In 1871 J.L.R. was a Solicitor at Penn, Staffordshire.

1891 Census - 87 Cromwell Road, Patricroft, Barton on Irwell - mson - aged:
7 - Scholar - born:  New South Wales Australia.

1901 Census - Glebelands Road, Ashton upon Mersey - son - aged: 17 - occ:
Warehouse Apprentice - born: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

1911 Census - No Trace.

Educated at Highfield School for Boys, Eccles.   Joined the firm of Messrs.
Sparrow, Hardwich & Co, Manchester.       Captain of Sale RUFC's 'A' Team
1904/05. 

From the A.I.F. Database.
Religion - Church of England.   Occupation - Labourer.   Address - Coton
House Queens Road, Ashtons on Mersey Cheshire, England 
Marital status - Single.   Age at embarkation - 32.   Next of kin - Mother,
Mrs Elizabeth Ann Rutter, Coton House, Ashton on Mersey Cheshire, 
Enlistment date: 20th February 1915.   Age at Enlistment: 31 years 7
months.    Occupation: Labourer.    Served with the Royal Army Medical
Corps, Manchester for 5 years before resigning.    Rank on enlistment -
Private.   Unit name - 18th Battalion, B Company.    Enlisted in the AIF in
February 1915.   He was 5 feet 8½ inches tall.  He weighed 148 lb.  Chest
measurements were - 33 inches and 35½ inches.   His complexion was: Dark. 
 His eyes: Brown and his hair: Brown.   He had no distinctive marks.
He attested at Liverpool, New South Wales on the 23rd February 1915.  
Drafted into the 18th Battalion Australian Infantry, 5th Infantry Brigade
he was in the first batch of troops sent to Galliopoli.    AWM Embarkation
Roll number 23/35/1 
Embarkation details - Four Companies of the 18th Battalion embarked from
Sydney, New South Wales, on board Transport A40 Ceramic on 25 June 1915
bound for Egypt via the Suez Canal.
Rank from Nominal Roll - Private.   Unit from Nominal Roll - 18th
Battalion.  Posted as missing on the 27th August 1915.  Fate: Killed in
Action - 27 August 1915.   Decision of a Court of Enquiry held at Tel el
Kebir, Egypt on the 21st January 1916.
Age at death from cemetery records - 32.   Australian War Memorial - 87 
Cemetery records Parents: John and Elizabeth RUTTER, Combe Martin, Devon,
England. Native of Bondi, New South Wales 
Other details War service: Egypt, Gallipoli.   Medals: 1914-15 Star,
British War Medal, Victory Medal.

The 18th Battalion arrived on Gallipoli as fresh-faced troops eager for
battle. Two days later this was completely shattered and the romantic myth
of war was lost forever. Orders were issued almost immediately for the
battalion to move up to the front line. Many of the men were not aware that
they were to assault Hill 60 until just before 5.00am on the morning of 22
August 1915. Hill 60 was considered of strategic importance for two
reasons. First of all it overlooked the much of the Anzac positions and
second of all who ever controlled it also controlled two wells that
supplied water. 
Syd Goodsell (now a major) led his company into murderous machine gun and
rifle fire and several men were killed. He managed to get his a
considerable number of his men into the first line of Turkish trenches
before halting. Chapman could see that more men were needed so he ordered
the next two companies into the firing line. Captain Alexander McKean (a
school teacher from Penrith), part of the second wave, was struck in the
shoulder and took no more active part in the war. Cyril Lane (also a major
and company commander of ‘B’ Company) lost most of his men before
reaching Goodsell attempting to consolidate. 
One young man, Private Joseph Maxwell, was appointed stretcher-bearer of
‘B’ Company and believed he would not get much opportunity to
participate; he was wrong. After failing to make further headway through
the day someone gave the order to withdraw although no one knew issued it.
Those that managed to survive were shattered with the loss of so many
friends and (in some cases) brothers. 
If those still fit thought that was their first and last experience of
total carnage they were wrong. Just five days later the Battalion was
ordered back into the line for a second attempt to remove the Turks from
Hill 60. Chapman called for volunteers this time and every fit and able man
stepped forward. This time they were successful in securing a foothold on
the hill but many more men were killed, including the heroic Lane, struck
once in the heart by a bullet during a bomb fight with the enemy.   He fell
in the Battle for Sulva Bay
The 18th Battalion remained on Gallipoli until the end in December 1915
before evacuating without casualties. Major George Murphy (later battalion
commander) transferred from the 20th to the 18th Battalion just after the
August debacle.   He was killed in the second charge.

A few days before his death, Frederick wrote a letter to a Miss Gersbach
stating that he had made out a will in the back of his pass Book and had
left everything to her.

A.W.M. Memorial
He was born at Bondi Beach, New South Wales and attended the Highfield
School, Sydney   He must have gone to the UK at some time and then returned
to Australia as he had previously served with the Medical Corps, Manchester
Rgt.  His Mother - Elizabeth Ann Rutter, gave the Memorial information and
she was by then residing at Combe Martin, Devon.

The 22/06/1915 edition of the local newspaper, reporting his brother's
(Claude Arthur Gordon Rutter) death, states that FWG Rutter was on his way
to the front with the Australian Contingent.

During WW1 two of his sisters Ellen Geraldine Lilian Rutter who in 1911 was
employed as a Nurse at the Austin Street Hospital Bethnal Green, London and
Ethel Theodora Christina Rutter, who in 1912 was a Student Nurse at the
Royall Infirmary, Gloucester, served with the Queen Alexandra's Imperial
Medical Nursing Reserve and four of his brothers were also in the forces. 
An older brother, Clement Henry Edward Rutter, served with the London
Volunteers Regiment and managed to survive the war as did another brother
George Leopold Norman Rutter who was serving with the Manchester Regiment
and was invalided home during the Gallipoli fighting.   Claude Arthur
Gordon Rutter served with the 6th Bn Manchester Regiment and was killed in
action at Gallipoli.   The youngest brother, Geoffrey Ronald Morton Rutter
served with the Durham Light Infantry and was killed in action on 27th May
1918 whilst taking part in the Second Battle of the Marne, France.

Commemorated on the private family gravestone in St. Catherine's, Barton on
Irwell. Ref: 7l4.     His father, John Clement died 18/03/1899 aged 51
years and his mother Elizabeth Ann died 16/08/1922 aged 67 years.

CWGC lists mother's address as - Combe Martin, Devon.    Listed in the
Guardian Year Book - Roll of Honour for 1918, which states that he was from
Ashton on Mersey.

Sale Football Club are unable to locate their WW1 Memorial.