Trying To Identify Sailor - John G Sutherland

[ostler]

From Dumfries and Galloway Standard - Saturday 05 April 1952.

Searches of the British Newspaper Archives show an Inst. Lieut. Sutherland on the HMS Excellent in 1950 (I don't know anything about Naval ranks so this could be a complete red herring).

[PaulJC]

Thanks All.

He was identified from a Portmouth newspaper article on a motoring conviction in 1959 which gave his age as 25.

[Forfarian]

He was identified from a Portmouth newspaper article on a motoring conviction in 1959 which gave his age as 25.

So who was he, then?

[MonicaL]

From the Portsmouth Evening News 7 March 1959, there was mention of a John George Sutherland, aged 25. He had his driving licence taken away due to drink driving and he was applying to the court to have it back.

So following through on the numbers, this John George would have been c. 18 in 1952 when he took part in the funeral procession.

So expanding the search back in Caithness brings up this birth:

JOHN GEORGE C SUTHERLAND
1933
036/ 7
Dunnet

And there we also have the additional middle letter of 'C', which gives us J G C Sutherland mentioned earlier.

Monica
   

[Forfarian]

Looks good .... but if he was from Dunnet, how did Halkirk come in to it?

[MonicaL]

Hard to say with the little we have. Maybe family moved and lived in Halkirk in later years?

Details from the birth cert are needed really to narrow down his family and early years.

Monica

[manukarik]

Less than 13 miles between Dunnet and Halkirk....

[Forfarian]

Less than 13 miles between Dunnet and Halkirk....

True, but they are separate parishes and not adjacent to one another.

If you were from either of those parishes you might, if you were giving information to someone with no knowledge of Caithness, say you came from near Thurso, but no native of Caithness would confuse the parishes of Dunnet and Halkirk, any more than they would say they were from near Thurso if they came from Wick.

It's just a small inconsistency that needs to be explained.

[Forfarian]

There are two possible births in Caithness - J G Sutherland in Halkirk 1928 and J G C Sutherland in Dunnet in 1933.

What is the evidence that the J G Sutherland who was awarded the Royal Victorian Medal in 1952 is the same man as the J G C Sutherland who was awarded the Naval General Service Medal 1915-1962 - Near East?

J G C Sutherland's number seems to be P/JX.865395, according to the particulars of his medal. Is there a record anywhere of J G Sutherland's number?