Acting Corporal Frank Henry Butters

Thank you to Jim Edwards for this research. Thank you to Lenka Cathersides for further research.

Frank Henry Butters was born on 9^th May 1879 in Kentish Town, London to Robert and Annie Isabella (nee Clarke). He  was baptised at St Andrew’s, Haverstock Hill, Camden. At the time of the baptism the family lived at 43 Carlton Street.

Frank’s father Robert was born in the 1^st quarter of 1844 in Fordham, Cambridgeshire to agricultural labourer John born about 1807 and Mary born about 1807, both in Fordham. His mother Annie was born in the 1^st quarter of 1849 in Lincoln, Lincolnshire to hairdresser Jesse, born about 1821 in Maidwell Northamptonshire and Betsy born about 1923 in Lincoln. Robert married Annie on 30^th July 1870 at Holy Trinity, Islington. At the time of the marriage Robert was working as a police constable. At the time of the 1871 Census, Robert and Annie lived at Brooksby Street, Islington.

Frank had seven known siblings: Emma Rhodes born in the 2^nd quarter of 1871; Robert William born in the 2^nd quarter of 1873 and John Evison born in the 1^st quarter of  1876, all in Islington. Winifred Annie born in the 2^nd quarter of 1881 in Kentish Town; Walter Frederick born in the 3^rd quarter of 1883 in Croydon. Charles Herbert born in the 1^st quarter of 1886 and George Albert born in the 1^st quarter of 1888, both in Mitcham, Surrey.

At the time of the 1881 Census, the family were still at 43 Carlton Street. Robert was working as a Metropolitan Police Sergeant and Annie was looking after their children: Emma, Robert, John and Frank.

In 1885 Frank was admitted into Mitcham Board School.

At the time of the 1891 Census, the family lived at 1 Romeo Villas, High Street, Mitcham. Robert was working as a police inspector and Annie was at home. The household further comprised of their children: barmaid Emma, clerks Robert and John, Frank, Winifred, Walter, Charles and George.

At the time of the 1901 Census, Frank worked as a gardener for jeweller Cyril A. Smith at The Holt, Morden.

At the time of the 1901 Census, Frank’s family were still at Romeo Villas. Robert had retired from the Police Force and Annie was at home. The household further comprised of their sons: insurance agent John, George and two grandsons William and Vincent.

Frank married Elizabeth Pearce, on 2^nd April 1902 at St John’s Church in Capel, Surrey. At the time of the marriage Frank was working as a bailiff.

Elizabeth was born in the 1^st quarter of 1881 in Capel to coachman George, born about 1842 in Wimbledon and Jane (nee Lovell), born about 1849 in Epping, Essex. Elizabeth was baptised on 10^th April 1881 in Capel.

Frank and Elizabeth had one son. Frank Reginald was born on 18^th May 1905 in Enfield.

At the time of the 1911 Census, Frank lived at Wilkins Green nr St Albans, Hertfordshire. He was working as a chauffeur. The household further comprised of his wife Elizabeth, their son Frank and his sister-in-law dressmaker Hannah Pearce. The accommodation had two rooms.

At the time of the 1911 Census, Frank’s parents Robert and Annie lived at 16 Ravensbury Grove, Morden. The household further comprised of a boarder; butcher Arthur Spice. Annie stated that she had given birth to ten children of whom seven were still alive. The accommodation had five rooms.

Frank initially volunteered for the Royal Garrison Artillery in October 1914 at Great Yarmouth (Number 47683) but was discharged a fortnight later as “not being likely to become an efficient soldier, osteoarthritis left great toe … rendering him unfit to march”. At the time of his enlistment he was working as a gardener and lived at North Hyde Lodge, Hatfield. Frank had black hair, hazel eyes and a dark complexion.

He re-joined at a later date, presumably when the liability for recall after medical discharge was altered in May 1916; this time (Number M2/078425) he was in the Army Service Corps. He became a Lance Corporal (acting Corporal) in 717 Mechanical Transport Company. This was the Corps Siege Park (a company attached to Heavy Artillery) for IX Corps. It would have included Siege Battery Ammunition Columns for the heavy artillery of the Corps, and for 153 Siege Battery. 153 Siege Battery was part of 9 Heavy Artillery Group at the time, and both this group and IX Corps were part of Second Army at the time. 717 would have delivered ammunition for the heavy guns, using motor lorries, and so worked some distance from the front lines. (The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records show this incorrectly as attached to “153rd  Divisional Ammunition Column, Royal Garrison Artillery”.)

At the time of his death he was a Private (Acting Lance Corporal) of the Army Service Corps in the Mechanical Transport unit attached to 156rd Divisional Ammunition Column, Royal Garrison Artillery.   

From War Diaries for September 1917:

“On the night of the 30th September the enemy dropped a bomb in the middle of the 9th Brigade Lorry Park, killing one officer and 11 Other Ranks. 17 O/Rs were also admitted to hospital some of whom subsequently died of their wounds.”

 “Acting Captain SW Burditt Army Service Corps, was killed by a bomb dropped by hostile aircraft at Headquarters Heavy Artillery. Large number of enemy aeroplanes over IX Corps area from 8.0pm until about 2.0am. Siege park standings on the Bailleul-Locre road bombed. One bomb dropped at 8.0pm parade, 12 killed, 5 wounded. 4 lorries set on fire and completely gutted, 1 car destroyed. Office and mess blown up. Owing to prompt evacuation of the standing, the fire did not spread.” Senior Military Transport Officer IX Corps

Frank died of wounds on 30^th September 1917 at 57^th Field Ambulance, Belgium. He was buried at Locre Hospice Cemetery in Belgium. His cemetery number is: III.A.25. His widow, Elizabeth, was living in Hatfield and his parents were in Betchworth.

He received the British War and Victory medals.

The 1917 Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser reads that Frank joined Mechanical Transport service about two and half years ago and had been in France for 14 months.

Frank’s wife Elizabeth received £4, 14s and 8d on the 1^st of February 1918, £9, 9s and 4d on the 11^th of March 1918 (for child) and a further £11 on the 14^th of January 1920 in Soldier’s Effects.

In 1917 Frank Henry’s parents lived at Oakdene Road, Brockham, Surrey.

His father Robert had served in the Metropolitan Police for 26 years and had retired in December 1891. He had joined in Islington in 1865 and was promoted to Sergeant in 1877 and sub-inspector in 1882. (This rank was later renamed Station Sergeant.) He was temporarily recalled for Queen Victoria’ Jubilee, for which he received a medal, still in the family’s possession.

Frank had three brothers serving in armies.

Cpl George Albert Butters was in the 20^th Hussars (5261) and was killed in action on 30^th May 1917, with three others sitting in a small shelter. He had been a regular soldier, who left the army before the war and spent a year with West Sussex police (Horsham and Petworth), before being recalled. He was in the retreat from Mons and the battles of the Marne, Aisne, Ypres and Arras. He was reburied in the Unicorn Cemetery at Vendhuile on 19 August 1919, from another local cemetery.

Two more brothers were in the New Zealand army. Charles Herbert Butters was born in Croydon in 1885 and had moved to New Zealand by 1911. He enlisted on 14^th June 1915 and went to Europe as number 11/1418 with the 6^th reinforcement draft of the Wellington Mounted Rifles on 14^th August. He was in Gallipoli and then briefly in Egypt. He was severely wounded at the Battle of the Somme and sent to hospital in Torquay. He was discharged from the army on 19^th October 1917 because of these wounds. He married Rose May Bowry in Reigate around June 1918. Her father had lived in Dorking. She was killed in September 1920, when their car rolled backwards down a hill. Charles remarried in 1924 and continued to live in New Zealand until his death in 1979, at the age of 93.

Walter Frederick Butters enlisted in 15^th February 1915 and went to Europe on the 13^th June 1915. In August, he was then in the battle of Chunik Bair in the Dardanelles with the fifth reinforcement draft of the Otago Infantry Battalion as number 8/1945. He was later hospitalised with enteric fever. He went to Salisbury Plain (by June 1917) as a Sergeant drill instructor, before returning to New Zealand (by October 1917) as a Staff Sergeant Major and instructor of musketry. By 1924 he had moved to Australia where he lived to the age of 90.

The reference to New Zealand forces for Frank on the memorial is presumably confusion between the brothers. Although family members had connections with villages in the area, no obvious direct link with North Holmwood has been found.

Born	Kentish Town, London
Son of	Robert and Annie Isabella (nee Clarke) Butters of Oakdene Road, Brockham, Surrey
Husband of	Elizabeth Pearce of Capel
Father of	Frank Reginald Butters born in 1905
Regiment	Army Service Corps
Number	M2/078425
Date of Death	30th September 1917
Place of Death	Heuvelland, Belgium
Cause of Death	Died of wounds
Age	38
Cemetery	Locre Hospice Cemetery, Heuvelland, Belgium

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