Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh de Putron was born in September 1876 and first gained a Regular Army Commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Manchester Regiment in August 1901. He had earlier served in the Mediterranean Theatre as a Captain in the Northumberland Fusiliers (Militia) and would quickly be employed in the Ashanti operations with the 3rd Battalion, Manchesters. Advanced to Lieutenant in November 1902, de Putron still held that rank when he embarked for service with the B.E.F. in August 1914, joining the 2nd Battalion at Pointoise on the 28th of the month and remaining so employed until 14.11.1914.

During that period he would have participated in the attack on Pisseloup Ridge on 9.9.1914 and on the village of St. Marguerite a few days later. October saw the Battalion heavily engaged, not least at Richebourg l'Avoue on the 13th, when 'every yard of ground, hamlet and house' was hotly contested. On the 19th, the Manchesters held the line at Les Trois Maisons during a fierce enemy counter-attack, on one occasion with a bayonet charge. Then on the 29th, in new positions near Festubert, two men of the Battalion won Victoria Crosses for retaking the centre of the Manchesters' line after it had fallen earlier in the day. It must have been a very shell-shocked and exhausted Lieutenant de Putron who landed back in the UK in the following month.

He was advanced to Major in May 1916 and given the Brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel in June 1918, in addition to being awarded the 'French War Cross' (Officers' War Services 1920 refers) and Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 30.3.1917 refers).

N.B.
See Lot No. 739 for some family Golfing Medals.