Mostyn Elston Bluett Cutcliffe

Rank:

Lieutenant Colonel

Unit at enlistment:

125th Battalion

Force:

C.E.F.

Volunteered or conscripted:

Volunteered

Survived the war:

Yes

Cemetery:

Farringdon Cemetery, Brantford, Ontario

Commemorated at:

Grace Anglican Church

Birth country:

Canada

Birth county:

Brant

Birth city:

Brantford, Ontario

Address at enlistment:

93 Dufferin Avenue, Brantford, Ontario

Next of kin address:

93 Dufferin Avenue, Brantford, Ontario

Trade or calling:

Merchant

Employer:

Turnbull and Cutcliffe Ltd.

Religious denominations:

Church of England

Marital status:

Married

Age at enlistment:

Letters and documents

BX June 30, 1916

Grateful for Kindness Shown – Y.M.C.A. Receives Thanks From 84th and 125th Battalions

The local Y.M.C.A. during the past year, which was so generously thrown open for the use of the soldiers in the city, has undoubtedly been of great benefit to the military both as a suitable spot to conduct various lines of training and for the boys to spend leisure moments writing to their friends or perusing books and papers. That the military have appreciated the various facilities offered is shown in the following letter received from the 84th and 125th Battalions, who thank the Y.M.C.A. for the hospitality extended. The members of the board and those in charge state that they were just as pleased to have the boys with them as they were to use the building. The letters received are:

84th Overseas Battalion
Canadian Expeditionary Force,
Brantford

Secretary Y.M.C.A.

I have great pleasure in tendering you on behalf of the officers of the 84th Battalion, our heartiest thanks for the kindness and courtesy which you have extended to us during our stay in Brantford.

Your hospitality has made our stay in Brantford much more enjoyable than it might otherwise have been and is greatly appreciated by all of us.

Yours very sincerely
H. Lockley Brodie
Secretary Officers’ Mess

June 7, 1916
Brantford, Ont.

Mr. G.L. Goodwin
Y.M.C.A., City

Dear Sir,

I have the honor on behalf of the 125th Battalion, to thank you most heartily for your kindness in allowing us the privilege of using the gymnasium and boys department, also lecture rooms, during our training in Brantford.

I sincerely hope that everything is left in good condition and satisfactory to you. If not, will you kindly let me know at once.

Thanking you once again, I have the honor to be,

Sincerely yours,
M.E.B. Cutcliffe
Lieut.-Colonel

BX July 21, 1916

Send Thanks for Field Kitchen

Mrs. W.C. Livingston, president of the Women’s Patriotic League, has received the following letter from Lieut.-Col. Cutcliffe, officer commanding the 125th Battalion, thanking her on behalf of the battalion for the donation of the field kitchen:

I have the honor to write on behalf of the 125th Overseas Battalion, and to thank you most heartily for your kind donation of a field kitchen for our battalion. This kitchen is very useful to us, and we have been using it ever since we have been here. This make of kitchen seems to be the most popular make in camp; everyone speaks so highly of it. Thanking you once again for your interest, also the interest of the Daughters of the Empire and Patriotic League, who have worked so hard all winter and spring for the comforts of the 125th Battalion, which we all appreciate very much.

Sincerely yours,
M.E.B. Cutcliffe, Lieut.-Col.

BX Christmas Edition 1916

Bramshott Camp,
Hants, England.

Nov. 2, 1916.

To the Editor of The Expositor.

Sir:

The officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the 1st Battalion, 38th Dufferin Rifles, better known as the 125th Brant County Battalion, send their hearty greetings and best wishes for a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

The thoughts of all in the battalion from Brant County, who are still in England, will be with those who have already gone to France, as well as all those we left behind as we steamed away across the big Atlantic, in the early days of August.

I trust those who have already gone to France, and those who may be there before Christmas time, will be remembered by the many who have always been so loyal in helping our boys. They might also write a few letters, which would be very much appreciated. I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who so generously gave of their time and contributions towards my battalion.

The vacancies caused by the draft going to France have been more than filled with N.C.O.'s and men from the 135th Battalion, Middlesex County, and I can only add that we are working to make them as efficient as those whose places they have filled.

Again, all join in heartiest greetings.

M.B. Cutcliffe
OC 125th Battalion

BX January 9, 1917

Christmas of Pleasure of Men of 125th – Lieut.-Col. M.E.B. Cutcliffe Tells of Merry Time Spent in Witley – Boys at Front Remembered

The boys of the 125th Battalion had a good time at Christmas and the boys who had left previously for France were not forgotten, a parcel being sent to all of them. Lieut.-Col. M.E.B. Cutcliffe has written The Expositor as follows:

December 27, 1916
Witley Camp

Dear Expositor,

I wish to thank The Expositor very, very much for its kindness I raising a fund for our battalion. This amount, added to what we expected to spend on the battalion, helped us a great deal. I am enclosing a menu of the men’s meal, which was held at 1 o’clock on Christmas Day, and the officers N.C.O.’s and men, all sat down to dinner together. The band and waiters having their meal at 12 o’clock enabled them to play and wait on table for the balance of the time. We had turkey, geese and chicken, being unable to get enough of one kind of fowl. We gave them cigarettes, oranges, apples, raisins, and a bar of chocolate each. Everybody seemed to enjoy themselves, and had one good fill as some of the boys said, the first fill-up they had since they have been in the army.

Now, we have not forgotten the boys in France. We are putting up parcels to send to ever boy who went from this battalion, including cigarettes, chocolate, chewing gum and oxo. They will not receive these for Christmas, but I have written them, stating that they may expect the parcel shortly.

I hope you will thank the donators for me, through your columns, and state at the same time that not only our own Brantford boys received the benefit of this, but boys from the 135th and 157th Battalion, who have been attached to us, and boys of the 125th who were sent overseas to France, with the last draft will also get presents.
I received a small amount from the 135th commanding officer, to go towards our Christmas comforts for the men. I am trying to get something from the 157th O.C., but at present he is in France, but I expect we will be able to get him to give us something.

The officers had their dinner at night, and we had our wives and children there too, making a party in all of 48. We had several of the officers’ friends too, and a sing-song afterwards, the band playing during the meal. I believe everybody enjoyed the Christmas here very much, although it was not like home, but still we tried to make it as much so as possible. My three little ones were there, and they certainly did enjoy it, after driving home, we got to bed about 12.30. I hope you all enjoyed Christmas, and that you are all quite well.

Sincerely yours,
M.E.B. Cutcliffe, Lieut.-Col.
O.C. 125th Can. Inf. Batt., C.E.F.

BX January 22, 1917

Lieut.-Col. Cutcliffe Away on Course at Aldershot – Extends Thanks to the “Heavily Taxed” People of Brantford for May Xmas Remembrances

Lieut.-Col. M.E.B. Cutcliffe, officer commanding the 125th Battalion has started a few weeks course at Aldershot and it will be the middle of March before he again rejoins his regiment. In a letter just received by the Expositor he encloses a copy of the Christmas menu and has the following to say:

Yours of December 14 received. I am glad to state that in answer to your cable that I cabled a reply, also that I have written you regarding some, stating what was done with the money, etc. I might also add we had the parcels done up for the boys at the front, and have had letters from several of them thanking me for them, although they have not received them as yet. They seemed very much pleased that we thought of them by this little remembrance. I am sure the people of Brantford have been heavily taxed, in Red Cross and other things that have been cropping up from time to time. Kindly convey to the people of Brantford, and the readers of The Expositor our hearty thanks for their contributions for their Christmas gift to us.

Menu
Soup – Puree of Tomatoes
Roasts – Turkey, Goose, Chicken, Cranberry Sauce
Vegetables – Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Turnips, Mixed Pickles
Dessert – English Plum Pudding, Brandy Sauce
Fruits – Apples, Oranges, Nuts, Nut Chocolate
Mild Bitters, Ginger Beer, Cigarettes

With season’s greetings for Lieut.-Col. M.E.B. Cutcliffe and officers

BX April 12, 1917

Parcels Sent to 125th Men Drafted – Some 550 Men Were Remembered Out of the 125th Christmas Fund

Lieut.-Col. M.E.B. Cutcliffe, officer commanding the 125th Battalion, at Witley Camp, Surrey, in a letter to The Expositor, deals with a complaint that the Christmas boxes paid for by Brantford citizens was never received. He says:

"I have just been shown a clipping from The Expositor, sent to Major McLean, a letter from a man of the 125th Battalion at the front. The gist of this makes the people believe that the officers or someone else have had the benefit of the $250 which the citizens of Brantford so kindly sent us. I might say that we bought chocolates, cigarettes, etc., amounting to $186 and some odd cents, for 550 boys, who left our battalion for the front. I have received two letters today and I suppose 50 in all, thanking me for the little parcel which was sent to them for Christmas. As you know, the money was not received by me until Christmas Day or a day or two afterward, and it was impossible to buy those things before we received the money. However, we parceled the things up and shipped them to the battalion commanders in France to be distributed to our men, who were in their battalions. There was a certain amount of express charges to be added to this amount, I cannot say the exact amount at present; so you see we spent nearly the whole amount or the majority of same sending the parcels to the boys in France, and we were able, with the regimental funds, and other ways, to pay for the Christmas treat for the boys in England. This is the only complaint I have seen from any of the boys and most of them were very much pleased to receive the little parcel.”

Appended to the letter of Col. Cutcliffe were letters of appreciation from Pte. James Jess, Pte. A.B. Benton, Pte. Collin Haskett and Pte. W.R. Bacon. The last named says:

"The parcel was very good, and as far as I know the rest of the boys received theirs all right and asked me to thank you for your kindness."

BX November 13, 1915

Captain M.E.B. Cutcliffe Will Command 125th Brant Batt. – Appointment is Officially Announced – Popular Commander of the Dufferin Rifles to Go Overseas as Lieut.-Col.

It is now Lieutenant Colonel Cutcliffe, commander of the 125th (Brant) Battalion, and The Expositor wishes to extend its heartiest congratulations, not only to Col. Cutcliffe, but to the battalion of which he is to have the command. No better choice could have been made, even though Brantford’s list of good materials for colonels is far from being exhausted.

Col. Cutcliffe has to-day been made the recipient of never ending congratulations from his friends, accompanied by the heartiest expressions of good wishes for himself and the Brant Battalion. The question of the command being now settled, it is expected recruiting will proceed rapidly.

Col. Cutcliffe is the sixth officer of the Dufferin Rifles to go on active service in the rank of battalion commander. The first is Lieut.-Col. M.A. Colquhoun who reached that rank through his ability as shown on the actual field of battle. Lieut.-Col. F.A. Howard is in command of the 11th depot battalion. Lieut.-Col. E.C. Ashton left as company commander of the 36th Battalion, but was promoted to brigadier. His brother, Major A. Nelles Ashton, was promoted to Lieut.-Col. and was gazetted to the 36th as commander. Lieut.-Col. Genet commands the 58th Battalion, now at Toronto. Lieut.-Col. Cutcliffe will command the new 125th Battalion.

His History

Lieut.-Col. M.E.B. Cutcliffe was born in Brantford in 1872, but when two years of age his parents moved to Mount Pleasant. Twenty-one years ago he came back to Brantford as a clerk in the hardware business. In this line he showed such ability that he rapidly advanced until he is one of the partners of Turnbull and Cutcliffe, King Street hardware firm.

At the time that he came to this city, he joined the Dufferin Rifles as a private, 21 years ago. In two years he rose through the ranks and secured his sergeants certificate. He then took out a commission as a lieutenant, and when the regiment was increased to eight companies, he organized H. Company, with which he was connected as officer commanding until Lieut.-Col. Genet then officer commanding the Dufferin Rifles, left to command the 58th Battalion. As senior officer of the regiment he became commander of the Dufferins, and now he becomes commanding officer and organizer of the new 125th Battalion C.E.F.

In public life Lieut.-Col. Cutcliffe has done his part. For seven years he was a member of the Public School Board, and when this was merged with the collegiate board into the Board of Education, he became a member of that organization having a two year term, with one year yet to go. He is married, and has three children. His home address being 93 Dufferin Avenue.

BX December 19, 1938

Lieutenant Colonel Cutcliffe Was Called Suddenly – Organizer and Founder of 125th Battalion Died Saturday Evening

Lieutenant Colonel M.E.B. Cutcliffe, V.D., who organized, commanded and took overseas the 125th (Brant) Battalion, CEF, died suddenly at his residence, 93 Dufferin Avenue, at 7 o’clock Saturday evening. He was in his sixty-sixth year.

Besides being active in the military history of Brantford, the late Lieut.-Col. Cutcliffe was for nearly half a century prominent in the business and community life of his native city. He took a particular interest in education, being a member of the Public School Board for a number of years and chairman in 1914, the year when the movement successfully concluded in 1915 – was instituted to amalgamate the Public School and Collegiate Boards as the Brantford Board of Education.

Born in Brantford, March 17, 1873, the deceased was the son of John Charles and Susan Bluett Cutcliffe, who came to Brantford from Barnstaple, Devonshire, England. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Mount Pleasant where he attended the old Mount Pleasant School.

Forty four years ago he associated himself with the late Walter R. Turnbull in creating the hardware merchandising house of Turnbull and Cutcliffe on the site where it still stands. On the death of Mr. Turnbull a little over a decade ago, he carried on the business.

Military Career

Lieutenant Colonel Cutcliffe’s military career started when as a lad of 16 he enlisted with the Dufferin Rifles as a private, coming up through the ranks to command the regiment.

On November 15, 1915, he organized and recruited the 125th Battalion, composed almost entirely of Brantford and Brant County sons. As commander he went with the unit to Camp Borden and thence to Witley Camp, England, where later the unit was broken up and its officers and men used to fill the ranks of other Battalions. He returned to Brantford from overseas in June 1918.

In the after war years he continued his interest in the local militia and particularly in the 125th Battalion, always dear to his heart. He attended all the annual reunions of the war time unit, the last a few weeks ago accompanied by the battalion’s Honorary Colonel, W.F. Cockshutt. The Dufferin Rifles were also ever in his thoughts. Very recently a photograph of Lieut.-Col. Cutcliffe was unveiled in the Sergeant’s Mess of the Regiment, of which he was once a sergeant.

In religion he was an Anglican and active, over a long term of years, in Grace Church here, being for many years a Warden. His Fraternal activities centered in Free Masonry, with Ozias here, his mother lodge.

As soldier and citizen he was a man of work and worth, who contributed much in all spheres of activity he entered. Of a genial, kindly disposition he endeared himself to a host of friends, and particularly to the “Men of the 125th,” who knew him well and loved him much.

At Toronto on September 12, 1900 he married Adelaide, daughter of the late John Dixon of that city. Mrs. Cutcliffe and three children, Mrs. H. Howard Petry, Westmount, Quebec;; Mrs. Arthur A. Overholt, this city, and Mrs. Joseph J. Brook, Simcoe, survive. Two brothers, Dr. A.B. Cutcliffe, this city and DeCourcy Cutcliffe, Manager of the Canadian Bank of Commerce, Norwood, Ont., and one sister, Mrs. Albert Briggs, Toronto, also survive. Two brothers, Arthur and Neville Cutcliffe, Mount Pleasant, and a sister, Mrs. Ernest Goold, Mount Pleasant, predeceased him.

The funeral was held this afternoon, a private service at Beckett’s Funeral Home, being followed by a public service at Grace Church, attended by more than one hundred officers and men of the 125th Battalion. Ven. Archdeacon A.L.G. Clarke officiated, assisted by Ven. Archdeacon J.B. Fotheringham, former Rector of the Church. Interment was in Farringdon Burial Ground.

BX December 20, 1938

Colonel Cutcliffe Laid to Rest – Military Men and Friends Paid Last Tribute Monday Afternoon

In the presence of many friends, relatives and militia men of all ranks, the last rites were observed on Monday afternoon for the late Lt.-Col. M.E.B. Cutcliffe.

Members of the 125th Battalion, founded by Col. Cutcliffe, and members of the Dufferin and Haldimand rifles formed a guard of honor at Beckett’s Funeral Home and at Grace Church. The members of the guard of honor marched in a body from the funeral home to the church. Major P.E. James was in command of the 125th and Lt.-Col. A.P. Van Someren was in command of the Dufferin and Haldimand Troops.

At the graveside Bugler Jack Frost played the Last Post and Reveille, and members of the guard of honor dropped poppies on the grave at the conclusion of the service.

Archdeacon A.L.G. Clarke was in charge of the services assisted by Archdeacon J.B. Fotheringham, Toronto, and former Rector of Grace Church.

A private service was conducted at the Beckett Funeral Home and was followed by a public service at Grace Anglican Church, which edifice was filled to capacity. Interment took place in Farringdon Burial Ground.

The honorary pallbearers were C.G. Ellis, W.B. Preston, Lt.-Col. W.G. Brooks, Lot.-Col. E.P. Watson, Mr. Justice W.T. Henderson, Lt.-Col. W.F. Cockshutt, Lt.-Col. Leonard F. Bishop, Dr. J.A. Marquis, George Heyd, K.C. and Blake Duncan.

The active pallbearers, members of the 125th and the Dufferin and Haldimand Rifles, were Private Gerry Hughes, Sergeant George Rennie, Private Jack McHutcheon, Corporal Bert Fisher, Sergeant-Major George Glanville, Corporal Sid Sims, Private Gilbert Mears and Sergeant-Major Bert Mears.

The flower bearers, also members of the 125th and the Dufferin and Haldimand Rifles, were E.R. Edwards, W. Blazey, T.G. Lee, W. Noakes, J. Rigley, A.A. Coale, F. McDougald, T. Lewitt and W. Bacon.

Among the many floral tributes were the following from Ozias Lodge, A.F. and A.M.; the Officer Commanding and Officers of the Dufferin and Haldimand Rifles of Canada; Officers and men of the 125th Battalion; Canadian Legion; Dufferin and Haldimand Sergeants’ Mess; Staff of Turnbull and Cutcliffe; Brantford Roofing Company; Brantford Golf and Country Club; Directors S.C. Johnson and Son, Limited; Brantford Board of Education, Schultz Construction Company.