Cuthbert Martin Parkhurst Pugh

A Private with the 5th Battalion, Cuthbert died on 12th of July 1943 aged 30. 

Cuthbert was born at Wimbledon, London, on 21 June 1913, a son of The Reverend Baldwyn de Fonmartin and Emily Marion Pugh. He was baptised at Saint Saviour’s Church, Raynes Park, on 20 July 1913 and his family lived at Talbot Road, Wimbledon. In 1921 his family lived at Kings Cottage, Monnington on Wye, Brobury, Herefordshire. By 1934 Cuthbert’s father had become the Rector of Gisleham and his family lived at Gisleham Rectory. 

On 30 May 1937 Cuthbert married Joan Edith Playle at Birdbrook, Essex. In 1939 they lived at Wye, Louis Close, Old Catton, Norwich, and Cuthbert was an assistant in a provision shop.

Cuthbert served with the 5th Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment. In May 1940 the battalion took over coastal defences at Weybourne, Norfolk. Later that year they moved to Holt and then King’s Lynn. In January 1941 they were sent to Scotland for advanced training and in April to Liverpool. In October 1941 they went to Glasgow and on 9 December they embarked the Duchess of Atholl, part of a convoy of ships carrying the 18th Division to Halifax. In Canada they changed ship to the U.S.S. Mount Vernon and then sailed for South Africa. They were due to sail to Bombay on 13 December 1941, but instead were taken to Mombasa. On 28 December they sailed for Singapore, arriving there on 13 January 1942. 

The battalion underwent some jungle training before moving to reserve positions at Ayer Hitam. The battalion’s first contact with the Japanese took place on 21 January. For the next few days they tried to hold positions, but, on 26 January, they were ordered to engage in a fighting retreat to Singapore. For the next two weeks they were involved in the defence of Singapore but Cuthbert, like many of his battalion was captured when Singapore fell on 15 February 1942. 

Cuthbert was one of a group of men taken overland, on 19 March 1942, to work on the Burma Railway. Cuthbert died, from cholera, at Kinsayoke Camp. He was reburied at Kanchanaburi Military Cemetery in 1946. 

Cuthbert’s brother Edward served with the Royal Engineers and was also captured at Singapore and died on the Burma Railway. Cuthbert, and his brother Edward, are commemorated on a special memorial at Gisleham Church.