Francis James Sutherland

Frank Sutherland was the head forester and lived on the estate, he did 51 years service for the estate. He also served in WW1 with the Royal Garrison Horse Artillery.

He went to Coleshill house to train, possibly several times and he also served in the Home Guard before he joined the Auxiliary Units. It is remembered he always carried a pistol.

The Sutherland family applied for, and were posthumously awarded the Defence Medal in 1997. The 100th year of Frank's birth.

The photograph was taken in the garden of the family home at Grove Villa.

Grandson Rob Reid; "I recall my mother telling me that she could remember her father, Frank, sleeping at night in his Home Guard uniform on a chaise lounge in front of the living room window. He did this in readiness for a tap on the window from a Home Guard colleague if they were called to action. I assume it was to enable him to leave without disturbing the rest of the household. I've no idea whether this was Home Guard or Auxiliary Unit related, but I think it paints just a small part of the picture of life for those who volunteered to defend home front."