Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

# 283 BUTLER William            26th Battalion
 
William Butler was born in Waterford in Ireland to parents James and Mary Anne Butler. William emigrated to Queensland and was living in Nanango when he enlisted in the AIF at Nanango in front of a Justice of the Peace on 16th April 1915. He stated his age as 23 years and occupation as cordial maker. William named his father in Ireland as his next of kin but in later years also named a Mrs A Butler who he claimed was his wife. His file contains no details of the marriage.
 
William was taken on strength by the 26th Battalion which was being raised at Enoggera as part of the 7th Brigade of the 2nd Division of the AIF. The battalion embarked for overseas at Pinkenba Wharf on the “Aeneus” on 24th June 1915 and disembarked in Sydney, re-embarking two days later to sail for overseas. The battalion landed at Suez on 5th August for a brief period of training. During the month, William was charged with being Absent without Leave (AWL) on two occasions.
 
The 26th boarded transports on 4th September and landed at Anzac Cove under cover of darkness on 11thSeptember. William reported to a field ambulance with a painful condition that may have been related to venereal infections. He was transferred to a casualty clearing station on the island of Lemnos from which he was transferred to the Hospital Ship “Mauritania.” William was admitted to the 3rd General Hospital in Wandsworth in London. Upon discharge on 1st January 1916, William reported to the 7th brigade Training Battalion at Codford. There were several instances of being AWL as well as drunkenness resulting in several periods of detention. This behaviour became a pattern which was repeated numerous times.
 
In June, William was in the Dermatological Hospital at Bulford suffering from VD. He remained there for 51 days during which time his pay was stopped. Once released from hospital, William resumed his intransigence at Codford with many more instances of AWL and drunkenness. The authorities were probably keen to ship William back to the front away from the temptations that were present in England and in November 1916, William was in the large infantry depot at Etaples on the French Coast. While there he was charged with being out of bounds and further punishment followed. In January 1917, William was sent “under escort” back to his battalion but he only lasted three weeks before he was back in a segregation camp at Etaples with balanitis and papillomata.
 
While still in the segregation camp, William broke out and was picked up in the town drunk. He was locked up in the guardhouse where he proceeded to kick in the panel of a door; fined 10/-. In April 1917 while in camp at Etaples he was charged with being drunk and he spent a further 29 days in the VD ward. Such behaviour would in the current era result in a discharge from the armed forces, and indeed a number of men in the AIF were given long prison sentences at Tidworth and discharged with their file being stamped “Services no longer required, not eligible for medals or pension.” But in William’s case, the authorities persisted with punishments ranging from loss of pay to field punishment. In his defence, although an inveterate absconder, he was not violent.
 
On 26th June 1916, William was sent back to the 26th where he resumed his habit of going AWL. In November 1916, William reported to his battalion medical officer with a case of trench feet; resulting in evacuation to the 3rd Southern General Hospital at Oxford. He remained in hospital until January 1918 when he was posted to a training battalion at Sutton Veny, where he proceeded to go AWL for 7 days. During the next months, there were several instances of AWL before being sent back across the Channel to Etaples.
 
On 6th May, William was marched in to the 26th Battalion lines near Villers Bretonneux where he continued to flaunt military discipline with several instances of AWL resulting in periods of Field Punishment #2; that is spending several hours each day in shackles. The 26th, as part of the 7th Brigade, was involved in the capture of the Wolfsberg above the village of Hamel on 4th July. This action was a classic textbook assault planned by Lt Gen John Monash incorporating tanks, aircraft, artillery, smoke screens and deception. For most of the men in the 26th, Hamel was just one in a long line of battles that they had experienced but for William this was probably his first taste of war. Perhaps as result of what he had experienced, William wrote new will in which he named Mrs A Butler of Manly NSW as his sole legatee.
 
After Hamel, which was a quite small affair, Monash was urged to plan a much larger offensive that would involve all five AIF divisions, three Canadian divisions and two British divisions as well as units of armoured cars, cavalry and several squadrons of the RFC. The offensive, aptly named the Battle of Amiens, was to commence on 8th August 1918.
 
The Australian divisions would form the spearhead, occupying the ground immediately south of the Somme River and Canal with the Canadians on the right linking with the French and British divisions on the left flank across the Somme. The 2nd Division had the task of occupying the left of the line, hard up against the Somme. When the advance commenced the 2nd Division advanced as far as Cerisy, shown on maps as the green line, and then was leapfrogged by the 4th Division. The battle of Amiens was a resounding success with the Garman forces in disarray. The German commander, Ludendorff, called 8th August the blackest day for the German Army.
 
Casualties for the entire offensive are hard to estimate but the 26th Battalion lost 25 killed and 110 wounded; which by the standards of the day were quite acceptable. Unfortunately, William Butler in probably only his second battle was killed. His body was taken to the rear and buried in the Adelaide Military Cemetery at Villers Bretonneux. When attempts were made to contact William’s alleged wife, the authorities were stumped. The address given by William in 1916 was non-existent and finally William’s brother Patrick claimed his medals. Mrs A Butler remained elusive. William’s headstone in the Adelaide Cemetery contains only his name, rank and unit. The Cemetery register has no details of his next of kin or of the place with which he was associated prior to enlistment.