Brett Cloutman

Lieutenant-Colonel His Honour Sir Brett Mackay Cloutman, VC, MC, QC (7 November 1881 – 15 August 1971) was a British Army officer, barrister, and Official Referee of the Supreme Court. He was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Background

Brett Cloutman was educated at Berkhamsted School, Bishop's Stortford College and London University where he was a member of the Royal Engineers contingent of the university's Officers' Training Corps.

Military career

At the outbreak of World War I Cloutman enlisted as a Rifleman in the Rangers (12th Battalion, London Regiment), reached the rank of Lance-Corporal, and in 1915 was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Kent (Fortress) Engineers, a Territorial Force unit.

Military Cross

Cloutman, by then Acting Major in command of the 59th Field Company, Royal Engineers, was awarded the Military Cross for an action in September 1918:

For conspicuous gallantly and devotion to duty at Banteux on the morning of 30th September, 1918, when he made a personal reconnaissance under heavy machine-gun fire to ascertain the possibilities of bridging the Canal de L'Escaut.

Victoria Cross

A few weeks later the action took place for which Cloutman won his VC. The official citation read:

For most conspicuous bravery on the 6th November, 1918, at Pont-sur-Sambre.

Maj. Cloutman, after reconnoitring the river crossings, found the Quartes Bridge almost intact but prepared for demolition. Leaving his party under cover he went forward alone, swam across the river, and, having cut the "leads" from the charges, returned the same way, despite the fact that the bridge and all approaches thereto were swept by enemy shells and machine-gun fire at close range. Although the bridge was blown up later in the day by other means, the abutments remained intact.