Hambo Posted 2 May , 2007 Share Posted 2 May , 2007 I'm looking for any information avaliable on this officer as I only have CWGC info to date. Also if anyone knows the details of the action he died in on the 25th of September 1915 (I guess it's Loos) I would be most grateful Thanks hambo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 2 May , 2007 Share Posted 2 May , 2007 Captain Hugh Montagu Butterworth, 9th Rifle Bde Born on 1 November 1885 the son of George Montagu Butterworth of Westward Ho! Educated at Marlborough College from Sept 99 to 1904 (played on Hockey XI 03-04; XV 03; XI 03-04; Captain of Rifle Club, 03; Racquet Rep, 04) and at University College, Oxford 05-06 (Racquets Rep, 04) Then employed as Assistant Master at Wanganui School, New Zealand Served in Great War with 9th Bn, The Rifle Brigade KIA at Hooge (Battle of Loos) on 25 Sep 15 His Great War letters were published by Wanganui School as "Letters from Flanders by H.M.B. There are numerous references to his athletic pursuits in the online index of "The Times" Sources: Marlborough College Register 1843-1933; Oxford University Roll of Service. Regards. Dick Flory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkalotloudly Posted 2 May , 2007 Share Posted 2 May , 2007 i have a copy of"letters from flanders" somewhere best regards John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 2 May , 2007 Share Posted 2 May , 2007 Hambo, As John rightly points out there is a memorial book to this officer called "Letters from Flanders." His last letter:- (I am posting this myself just before leaving. Perhaps I shan't be killed!!) I am leaving this in the hands of the transport officer, and if I get knocked out, he will send it on to you. We are going into a big thing. It will be my pleasent duty to leap lightly over the paprapet and lead "D" Company over the delectable confusion of old trenches, crump holes, barbed wire, that lies between us and the Bosche, and take a portion of his front line. Quo facto I shall then proceed to bomb down various communication trenches and take his second line. In the very unlikely event of my being alive by then I shall dig in like the blazes and if God is good, stop the Bosche counter-attack, which will come in an hour or two. If we stop that I shall then in broad daylight have to get out wire in front under machine gun fire and probably stop at least one more counter attack and a bomb attack from the flank. If all that happens successfully, and I'm still alive, I shall hang on until relief. Well, when one is faced with a programme like that, one touches up one's will, thank heaven one has led a fairly amusing like, thanks God one is not married, and trusts in Providence. Unless we get more officers before the show, I am practically bound to be outed as I shall have to lead all these things myself. Anyway if I do go out I shall do so amidst such a scene of blood and iron as even this war has rarely witnessed. We are going to bombard for a week, explode a mine and then charge. One does see life doesn't one ? Of course there is always a chance of only being wounded and the off-chance of pulling through. Of course one has been facing death pretty intimately for months now, but with this ahead, one must relize that, in the vernacular of New Zealand, one's numbers are probably up. We are not a sentimental crowd at the Collegaite Schhol, Wanganui, but I think in a letter of this sort, one can say how frightfully attached one is to the old brigade. Also I am very, very much attached to the School, and to Selwyn in particular. There are two thousand things I should like to say about what I feel, but they can't be put down, I find. Live long and prosper, all of you. Curiously enough, I don't doubt my power to stick it out, and I think my men will follow me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 2 May , 2007 Share Posted 2 May , 2007 Hambo, The attack was at Bellewaarde, it covers about five pages of the War Diary and in the Appendix to the War Diary there are the reports on the action. The 14th Division War Diary also gives a good account and reports if you need them. Let me know if these are of use and I will e-mail them to you. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 2 May , 2007 Share Posted 2 May , 2007 This is from the 14th Division War Diary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 2 May , 2007 Share Posted 2 May , 2007 On the night of the 25th when the 9th RB were relieved, they left Railway Wood with four officers and one hundred and forty other ranks total. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 2 May , 2007 Share Posted 2 May , 2007 9th RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 3 May , 2007 Share Posted 3 May , 2007 Extract from The Times, October, 1915: "Lieut Hugh Montague Butterworth, 9th Rifle Brigade, who was killed in action in Flanders on September 25th, was the only son of Mr. and Mrs. G.M. Butterworth, of Christchurch, New Zealand, formerly of Swindon, England. He was educated at Hazelwood, at Marlborough and the University College, Oxford. "At Marlborough he was captain of the cadet corps, a member of the cricket, football and hockey teams, racquet representative and winner of the athletic championship cup at Oxford, where he went in 1904. He was a very good, but unlucky, all round athlete. At different times he represented his University at cricket, football and hockey, and he won the Freshman's 100 yards, but a bad knee only permitted him to obtain his Blue at racquets. He played in the doubles with Mr. Clarence Bruce as partner in 1905 and Mr. Godfrey Foster in 1906. In 1907 he went to New Zealand and became assistant master at the Collegiate School, Wanganui." Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linge Posted 3 May , 2007 Share Posted 3 May , 2007 Hambo There is a Memorial to him in the Malburnian (2nd November 1915) I can email it to you if it is of interest. It mentions his uncle being Sir A. Kaye Butterworth so I believe that this means he was a cousin of Lieutenant George Sainton Kaye Butterworth MC, Durham Light Infantry killed in action 5th August 1916. Regards Pam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hambo Posted 3 May , 2007 Author Share Posted 3 May , 2007 Dick, Brilliant many thanks Pam I've sent a PM Andy I would love the war diary I think you have my email if not let me know John if you come across his book I would be very interested in knowing the contents and publisher so I can keep my eye out for a copy Thanks to all this time last night I had very little tonight I have more than I could have reasonably expected Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 3 May , 2007 Share Posted 3 May , 2007 Hambo, The publisher is Whitcombe & Tombs Limited, Wellington and the publishing date is 1916, Called "Letters from Flanders." Could you send me your e mail again and I will get this all off to you this weekend. The book contains a Memoir, which contains the Malburnian Memorial, The Times notice, Letter from Villiers-Stuart (O.C. 9th R.B.) and various tributes. All his letters from the front and finally all his cricket scores over 50. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 3 May , 2007 Share Posted 3 May , 2007 I'm looking for any information avaliable on this officer as I only have CWGC info to date. Also if anyone knows the details of the action he died in on the 25th of September 1915 (I guess it's Loos) I would be most grateful Thanks hambo Second time today I've seent he surname Butterworth: - a relative perhaps? http://cgi.ebay.com/WW1-Memorial-Plaque-Br...VQQcmdZViewItem Name: BUTTERWORTH, WILLIAM EDWARD Initials: W E Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Private Regiment/Service: London Regiment Unit Text: 1st/13th Kensington Bn. Age: 21 Date of Death: 01/07/1916 Service No: 3598 Additional information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. R. Butterworth, of 64, Lansdowne Rd., Dalston, London. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 9 D 9 C 13 C and 12 C. Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...casualty=762529 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linge Posted 4 May , 2007 Share Posted 4 May , 2007 Hambo Email Sent let me know if it doesn't arrive Regards Pam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hambo Posted 4 May , 2007 Author Share Posted 4 May , 2007 Pam Safely received Thankyou very much Hambo Andy I sent you a PM this morning Thanks to you too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 5 May , 2007 Share Posted 5 May , 2007 PM Received will be sending you the war diary in a little bit Hambo. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hambo Posted 6 May , 2007 Author Share Posted 6 May , 2007 Andy Thanks for the photograph, a real bonus. thanks too for the war diaries Hambo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 6 May , 2007 Share Posted 6 May , 2007 John, No problem, still got to send you a few of the maps from the War Diary and report in the 14th Division Diary. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionboxer Posted 7 May , 2007 Share Posted 7 May , 2007 Andy, Can I scrounge a copy of the Letters from Flanders and 14 Div war diary please? You have already sent me the 9RB war diary when I earlier asked for help about my Gt Uncle who was killed on the same day as this officer. Lionboxer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 7 May , 2007 Share Posted 7 May , 2007 Hi Lionboxer, Drop me a PM with your e-mail address on again and I will send the Divisional report through. Re Letters from Flanders, a few people have asked me to place the book on the forum, but PM me and I will send you a CD with it on. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionboxer Posted 7 May , 2007 Share Posted 7 May , 2007 Andy, That's very kind of you. I'll PM you. Lionboxer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wcs_museum Posted 20 December , 2007 Share Posted 20 December , 2007 I'm looking for any information avaliable on this officer as I only have CWGC info to date. Also if anyone knows the details of the action he died in on the 25th of September 1915 (I guess it's Loos) I would be most grateful Thanks hambo Hello I am very new to all this so please bear with me I understand you were asking for information abour Hugh M Butterworth. Notes I have seen so far on this website show you have gained a lot of information about him but I think I can help fill in a few gaps Particularly covering his time in New Zealand. My name is Richard Bourne and I am an Old Boy of Wanganui Collegiate School when HM cae as an assitant Master from 1907 - 1914 From all I have read about his time at WCS he was as we say in NZ 'one hell of a guy' As you are aware he wrote back to the boys and his great friend J Allen from the front and J Allen eventually published those letters in abook called Leters From Flanders - we have original copies in our School Musuem We have a significant amount of information about him from school magazines covering his time at WCS The School cricket pavillion was built in his memory by J Allen He is memorialised in the School Chapel along with the 6 other Masters of the School that gave their lives in the Great War. In all over 600 Old Boys of WCS sereved in the Great War - a hugly significant number considering that baerly 2000 boys had passed through the School by 1914 Of the 600 that served 157 lost their lives - The School is very proud of its record of service to England in the Great War. We have great records and many letters from a huge number of Old Boys who served and died in the war We also have a great book called "In Memorium" which documents the 157 that gave their lives complete with photos and biographical notes. I would happily share this with you and other members of the forum if you are interested Look forward to hearing from you. As I amd struggling to get to grips with the website etc (only viewed and joined today) I suggest you may like to email meil me directly at wcs_museum@xtra.co.nz Regards Richard Bounre Chairman WCS Musueum Trust Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hambo Posted 23 December , 2007 Author Share Posted 23 December , 2007 Richard Thankyou very much for getting in touch and welcome to the forum where you can find most hings Great War at the click of a mouse. My interest is in his prep school where he is commemorated as well. I will email later today with what I have and look forward to sharing what you might have as well All the best John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Caza Posted 6 June , 2008 Share Posted 6 June , 2008 Hi all, i am a member of wanganui collegiate school where we have been assigned the task to research two old boys/teachers that served and died in world war one. i have chosen harold burn Hindle and H.M Butterworth. I was lookin at the previous postings and see that many of you have quite a number of sources and references (including letters and ward diaries) that i would be interested in using.In our research we must include a variety of sources and i believe this could help in achieving a higher grade. If you have any suggestions on books or have any information that you feel might be of any help to me i would really appreciate it! I would really love to hear from anyone that could help me kind regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 6 June , 2008 Share Posted 6 June , 2008 Caza, There is a thread from a long time ago in the document repository, reference books section, where his Memorial book (Letters from Flanders) was placed which will give you all his letters. This was published in 1916 by Whitcombe & Tombs Limited of Wellington in 1916, some other references you might wish to use are, Villiers-Stuart goes to War, by the Pentland Press Ltd., Edinburgh, Villiers-Stuart was the commanding officer of the 9th Rifle Brigade at this time. The 9th Rifle Brigade war diary is held at the National Archives, its reference is WO95/1901 and the 14th Division's war diary is held at the National Archives, reference WO95/1864 for the period in question. Athough these references (apart from his Memorial book) do not mention Hugh Butterworth by name they give a good idea of what he went through. Look at the Memorial book thread though it will give you everything you need including The Times report, Malburian report etc. If you need any assistance re the diaries let me know. I hope this all helps you and the best of luck with your project. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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