View source for John Gilbert Sutton

{{CommRN}} '''John Gilbert Sutton''', D.S.C. (13 January, 1892 &ndash; 1982) served in the [[Royal Navy]].

==Life & Career==
The son of a Civil Engineer named Gilbert William Sutton, Esq., Sutton gained no time upon passing out of the Training Establishment.

Sutton served in battlecruisers {{UK-Indomitable}} and {{UK-Invincible}} from May 1911 to May 1912 and then in {{UK-Barham}} until 26 February, 1913.<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>

Sutton was promoted to the rank of {{LieutRN}} on 15 September, 1914.<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>

Sutton was reputed to be quite a character.  The Captain of the Portsmouth-Gosport ferry was alleged to have said, 
<blockquote>''When I sees a destroyer I goes on.  A Cruiser, I slows down.  A Battleship, I stops.  If I sees Lieutenant Jackie Sutton coming out from Blockhouse, I goes full speed astern!''
</blockquote>
Married three times in total, it is also said that one marriage ended after Sutton invited a pack of hounds into the bedroom to get his wife out of bed.  While these are perhaps nothing more than stories, it might corroborate a possible temper, as would be revealed in the inter-war years.<ref>Thanks Colin Barry, son of [[Claud Barrington Barry]], for this information in email dated 20210421.</ref>

Sutton served in {{UK-C32}} from November 1915 until October, 1916 when he was appointed to {{UK-F3}}.  At the end of November, he was appointed to {{UK-K3}} until superseded on 19 April, 1917.<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>

He served in {{UK-1Ithuriel}} and in general submarine service for much of the late war period before being appointed in {{UK-L3}} on 29 June, 1918.

On 7 December, 1918, he was placed in command of the captured German {{DE-U54}}.  Early in 1919, he went to the [[Periscope School]].<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>

On 12 October, 1921 he was appointed in command of Group M Submarines in Reserve, on the books of {{UK-Vulcan|f=p}}.  Sutton commanded {{UK-E47}} and served as Senior Staff Officer from early 1922 to late August, 1923, being promoted to the rank of {{LCommRN}} on 15 September, 1922.<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>

In 1925, Sutton was subjected to a Court Martial for having negligently or by default hazarded {{UK-L56}}, {{UK-L54}} and {{UK-L69}}, as well as having negligently or by default stranded {{UK-L56}}.  The charges were proved, and he was reprimanded on 22 December, 1924.<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>

Sutton was promoted to the rank of {{CommRN}} on 30 June, 1928.<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>

In 1930, Sutton lost torpedo No. 1078 from {{UK-H32}}. He was informed he was considered to blame and to be more careful in future, on 11 February.  In April of that year, Commander [[Hugh Richard Marrack|Marrack]] evaluated Sutton, describing him as a "gd leader" but "inclined to be tactless through lack of forethought."  This may have been the last bit of foreshadowing of trouble that would soon visit him.<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>

Sutton was appointed to the repair ship [[H.M.S. Resource (1928)|''Resource'']] vice O'Connell on 1 August, 1931.<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>

In the early morning of 13 September 1932 at a hotel in Cyprus shortly before ''Resource'' was to leave the island, Commander Sutton had a physical altercation with the hotelier, Christos Apostolides which fractured the other man's skull so badly that he subsequently died of his injuries.

''The Times'' offered the following account in a story printed on 19 November.<ref>''The Times'' (London, England), Saturday, Nov 19, 1932; pg. 3; Issue 46295.</ref>
<blockquote>
The ''Resource'' was at Limassol, and on the night of September 12 last Commander Sutton had been on shore to a cabaret.  He stayed to talk to a Turkish girl, Mazmie Hassam, and at about 2 a.m. he took her to the Côte d'Azur Jodel.  That hotel was kept by Apostolides.  Commander Sutton went upstairs to a room and he said that there was some unpleasantness between him and the girl and she left.

After she had gone Commander Sutton proceeded to go downstairs, and his story was that as he was going down he met Apostolides coming up; that Apostolides caught hold of his arm, made signs, and used the word "shillings" &mdash; probably the only English he knew &mdash; and that he (Commander Sutton) jerked his arm away.  It was almost dark, and Apostolides fell down the stairs, and was found lying in the hall with his head at the bottom of the stairs and his feel sprawling out on the marble floor.

There was no doubt, from the medical evidence, that he had fractured his skull right across, which led to haemorrhage and subsequent death.  There was no witness of the incident.
</blockquote>
Sutton claimed to have assisted Apostolides after the injury, and that he appeared to be alright before Sutton left.  Sutton was placed in custody and sent to {{UK-Coventry|f=p}} and found guilty of of manslaughter on 7 October.  Sutton was held on 100 pounds bail pending an appeal, which was based on the stance that hearsay evidence had been introduced in the form of alleged dying statements by the deceased to his co-workers, was rejected.  The sentence was lenient, however, amounting to just six months.<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref><ref>''The Times'' (London, England), Saturday, Oct 08, 1932; pg. 11; Issue 46259.</ref>

When Sutton was imprisoned, he was placed on the Retired List due to misconduct in accordance with provisions of [[Order in Council of 12 October, 1925]] on 25 January, 1933.<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>

==World War II==
In 1939, Sutton was informed that he would be required for naval service and that he should, in effect, keep his calendar clear.  He was appointed in command of the anti-submarine trawler [[H.M.S. Northern Chief (1936)|''Northern Chief'']] on 10 September, 1939.  On 2 December, he was admitted to the hospital ship ''Aba'' with "anxiety neurosis".  He was found fit for duty at year's end.  Almost immediately, there was a grounding of the ''Northern Foam'', and a Board in Enquiry found that her captain, and that of ''Northern Chief'' should be more careful in future.  Sutton was superseded in ''Northern Chief'' on 4 February, 1940.<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>

Sutton was appointed in command of the armed yacht [[H.M.S. Medusa (1906)|''Mollusc'']] (formerly ''Medusa'') on 11 March, 1940, vice [[Valentine Maurice Wyndham-Quin|Wyndham-Quin]].  He was superseded on 6 September, 1940 by [[Francis Theodor Hare]] and placed in command of the sloop [[H.M.S. Weston (1932)|''Weston'']], vice [[Seymour Charles Tuke]].  He was superseded on 24 August, 1942.  Later that year, he was appointed to command an L.S.T. and to be Senior Officer, First L.S.T. Flotilla.  In 1943, he was placed in command of L.S.T. 319 and as Commander, Seventh L.S.T. Flotilla.<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>

Sutton was awarded a D.S.C., gazetted 23 May, 1944 for his "outstanding courage, resolution, leadership, skill and devotion to duty in operations which led to successful landings on the Italian mainland and at Salerno."  Sutton's appointment in command of L.S.T. 319 and the Flotilla ended on 13 July, 1944.<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>

On 31 August, 1944 Sutton was surveyed at Royal Naval Hospital Minterne for a dislocation of his left shoulder.  He was found fit on 21 December, 1944, having been named Officer in Charge of landing craft in Liverpool on 9 October.<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>

After spending the early part of the year shutting down the Liverpool Landing Craft Base, Sutton reverted to the Retired List on 1 June, 1946.  He was called back for a twelve-day Commodore of Convoy course on 16 March, 1952.<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>

==See Also==
{{refbegin}}
* [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_rv=simple&_q=ADM+John+Gilbert+Sutton Service Records]
{{WP|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gilbert_Sutton}}
{{refend}}

<div name=fredbot:appts>{{TabApptsBegin}}
{{TabNaval}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''?'''|'''[[H.M.S. H 52 (1919)|Captain of H.M.S. ''H 52'']]'''<br>25 Mar, 1919{{NLJun20|p. 782''a''}}|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Charles Gordon Norrie Graham|Charles G. N. Graham]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Henry Kelsall Beckford Mitchell|Henry K. B. Mitchell]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. H 47 (1918)|Captain of H.M.S. ''H 47'']]'''<br>7 Jan, 1922<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>{{NLJan23|p. 764}} &ndash; 25 Aug, 1923<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Theodore Frederick Annesley Voysey|Theodore F. A. Voysey]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[James Alexander Pollard Blackburn|James A. P. Blackburn]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. L 56 (1919)|Captain of H.M.S. ''L 56'']]'''<br>25 Aug, 1923<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>{{NLApr25|p. 251}} &ndash; Dec, 1925<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Frank Percival Busbridge|Frank P. Busbridge]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Arthur Laugham Noakes|Arthur L. Noakes]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. L 21 (1919)|Captain of H.M.S. ''L 21'']]'''<br>Nov, 1926<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref> &ndash; Jul, 1928<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Geoffrey Meredith Keble Keble-White|Geoffrey M. K. Keble-White]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Alexander Boyd Greig|Alexander B. Greig]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Fermoy (1919)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Fermoy'']]'''<br>8 Sep, 1928<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref> &ndash; 12 Apr, 1930<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Henry Berwick Crane|Henry B. Crane]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Hubert Guy Dyke Acland, Fourth Baronet|Hubert G. D. Acland]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Castor (1915)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Castor'']]'''<br>19 Dec, 1930{{NLJul31|p. 222}}<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref> &ndash; 12 Jul, 1931<ref>Sutton Service Record {{TNA|ADM 196/54/54.|D7605642}} f. 54.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Geoffrey Alan Brooke Hawkins|Geoffrey A. B. Hawkins]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Seymour Charles Tuke|Seymour C. Tuke]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Weston (1932)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Weston'']]'''<br>6 Sep, 1940{{UBAllyWarship|3892}} &ndash; 24 Aug, 1942{{UBAllyWarship|3892}}|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Leonard Francis Durnford-Slater|Leonard F. Durnford-Slater]]'''}}
{{TabEnd}}
</div name=fredbot:appts>

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sutton, John Gilbert}}

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{{CatTrainEst|September, 1904}}
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