A First World War, George V, 1897 pattern Infantry Officers sword, originally owned by Brett Mackay Cloutman OB Bees 1906.
On 6th November 1918 at Pont-sur-Sambre, France, whilst reconnoitring the river crossings, Cloutman found the Quartes Bridge almost intact but prepared for demolition. Alone, he swam across the river, cut the wires from the charges and returned the same way, despite intense shelling and machine-gun fire, which swept the bridge and surrounding area. Although the bridge was blown later in the day, the abutments remained intact. B M Cloutman's Victoria Cross was the last to be awarded on the Western Front.
