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William 'Bill' Charles Sinclair Carruthers was Major in the British Army who received the Military Cross for his service during the Dunkirk evacuation and was later a director at Unilever.

Early Life
Carruthers was born on August 8th in Llandudno to Scottish parents. He was educated at Bootle Secondary School, Liverpool, and then went on to join Unilever as a laboratory technician. On the outbreak of the Second World War he volunteered for the Royal Engineers, and was subsequently sent to France with the BEF as a corporal in a chemical warfare unit on 11 October 1939.

Wartime Experiences
Carruthers was notably involved in the Dunkirk evacuation, where he acted as the commander of the 3rd Troop of the 77 Assault Squadron, leading them in their successful attempt to secure routes for the 3rd British Infantry Division to come ashore. He was wounded by grenade in the course of this action, but persevered with his task under heavy shelling despite his injuries. On August 11 1944, Carruthers was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery in this engagement.

After being evacuated from Dunkirk with head and thigh wounds he was posted to an officer training unit in Inverness, and then to 77 Field Company at Thorpness. Later in the war, he was once again recognised for displaying outstanding courage and distinction in combat during the Crossing of the Rhine, getting assault troops across the river and then leading his squadron to the Scheldt estuary.

After the War
On release from the military in 1948, having attained the rank of Major, Carruthers travelled around the world on a tramp steamer with his younger brother. He studied for a Bachelor of Science at The University of Manchester, before returning to work at Unilever, where he ultimately became a director.

Carruthers retired in 1972, following which he brought a house in Kent, where he set about converting a below-ground dairy into a plunge pool and manufacturing pottery. He specialised in creating replica drinking vessels, including Saxon-style drinking vessels, some of which were inadvertently displayed at museums as genuine.

He died in 1999, aged 80.