WW1 Lieut. Richard Howard Gutteridge (British Army)

Richard Howard Gutteridge was born on 15 October 1890 to Lucy Clifton Gutteridge (nee Firth) (1890 – 1912) and Richard Gutteridge, an accountant at the Colonial Sugar Company in Auckland, living in Park Road, Grafton, Auckland.

Richard attended and matriculated from Auckland Grammar School. In 1900 he was awarded prizes for Mathematics and Science and in 1905 the prize for mechanical drawing. Richard was a member of the College Rifles Rugby Football Club. [1, 2]

After leaving school he worked for the Auckland architects Noel Bamford and Hector Pierce. Their architectural focus was the Arts and Crafts movement that followed the ideology of William Morris and incorporated Maori arts into its definition of craft. Examples of their architectural style are: Neligan House in Parnell, The Kiosk in the Domain, 121 Remuera Road and the now demolished Coolangatta . [3, 4]

Richard went to London to continue his studies, where he was successful in gaining his ARIBA degree (Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects). Whilst he was studying, he was also working for the architect A. F. Chesterton until he gained his degree, after which he went into practice for himself.

Richard married Alice Mavis (Madge) Murray in London in October 1914. [5]

A month earlier in September 1914, Richard had enlisted in the British Army with the Artists’ Rifles Regiment as a signal instructor. Shortly afterwards, he received a commission as Second Lieutenant in 9th Battalion of the London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles). Richard was acting signalling officer to two other battalions on air guard duty in England, until July 1915 when he rejoined his unit.

On 2nd August 1915, he was sent to France where Queen Victoria’s Rifles had been incorporated with 156th Division at the Somme. Their unit was fighting near Les Boeufs, France, when Richard was reported missing in action on 1st October 1916 and is presumed to have died 2 October 1916 aged 26. [6, 7]

Richard was awarded British War Medal and Victory Medal.

He is remembered on the following memorials:
– Thiepval Memorial, Authuile, Somme, France
– Roll of Honour, College Rifles, Rugby Union Football and Sports Club, 33 Haast Street, Remuera, Auckland
– Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 1 Hall of Memories [8]

G Ralph
May 2020