Reginald George BUTCHER

BUTCHER, Reginald George

Service Number: 4674
Enlisted: 29 January 1916, Adelaide, South Australia
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 27th Infantry Battalion
Born: Adelaide, South Australia, 12 October 1892
Home Town: Riverton, Clare and Gilbert Valleys, South Australia
Schooling: Adelaide Public School
Occupation: Railway Porter (S.A.R.)
Died: Died of Wounds (POW Germany - shrapnel head & back), Cambrai, France, 29 November 1916, aged 24 years
Cemetery: Porte-de-Paris Cemetery, Cambrai
Plot 1, Row A, Grave 1. His name is also located at panel 109 in the Commemorative Area at the AWM, Porte-de-Paris Cemetery, Cambrai, Nord Pas de Calais, France
Memorials: Adelaide National War Memorial, Adelaide South Australian Railways WW1 & WW2 Honour Boards, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Glenelg and District WW1 & WW2 Honour Board, Hamley Bridge District WW1 Roll of Honor, Hamley Bridge War Memorial, Owen District Roll of Honor WW1
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World War 1 Service

29 Jan 1916: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4674, Adelaide, South Australia
11 Apr 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4674, 27th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1,

--- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: ''

11 Apr 1916: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 4674, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Adelaide
18 Oct 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4674, 27th Infantry Battalion, 'The Winter Offensive' - Flers/Gueudecourt winter of 1916/17
5 Nov 1916: Imprisoned 'The Winter Offensive' - Flers/Gueudecourt winter of 1916/17

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Biography

Born 12 October 1892 in Adelaide, South Australia
(SA Birth Records 1842 - 1906 Book: 508 Page: 330 District: Ade.)

Father Samuel George  and  Mother Kate Butcher (nee Cocker),
living at   20 Mary Street, St Leonards, Glenelg SA

Reginald last lived at Riverton, South Australia prior to enlisting.

Described on enlisting as 23 years 3 months old; single; 5' 6 1/4" tall; 133 lbs;
fresh complexion; brown eyes; brown hair; Church of Christ.

29/1/1916       Enlisted in Adelaide
                       Completed medical - fit for service
                       Commanding Officer appointed Reginald to
                       B Company, 2nd Depot Battalion, Adelaide

16/2/1916       to Mitcham Camp

11/4/1916       Embarked from Adelaide (Outer Harbour) on board HMAT Aeneas A60
                       as a Private with the 12th reinforcements, 27th Battalion

5/9/1916         Proceeded overseas to France, to reinforce the 2nd Division.

19/9/1916       Joined the 27th Battalion in Belgium

22/9/1916       contracted measles - to hospital, Belgium

10/10/1916     rejoined 27th Battalion in the field

The 27th Battalion took part in two attacks to the east of Flers in the Somme Valley. 

The first Flers attack was launched on 5/11/1916.
Private Butcher was reported missing in action on 5/11/1916.

On this day Reginald was wounded by shrapnel to head and back, captured at Cambrai
and became a Prisoner of War to the Germans.

Private Butcher died of his wounds three weeks later on 29/11/1916 at Bayr, Kriegs Reserve,
Lazarette 5, Section 6 Cambrai, France  as a  Prisoner of War. (aged 24 years old).

Confirmed by Germans, they buried Private Butcher in:-
                        Cemetery Notre Dame, Cambrai, France.  
                        Grave No. 1615, Block III

Private Butcher was buried in:
                       Collective Grave No. III
                       Military Cemetery, Porte de Paris, Cambrai
                       Plot 2, Row M, Grave 1

 14/11/1922:    His body was exhumed and reburied in:-
                       Plot 1, Row A, Grave 1
                       Porte-de-Paris Cemetery, Cambrai, Nord Pas de Calais, France

Medals:
British War Medal (36687); Victory Medal (36403) and
Memorial Plaque and Memorial Scroll (322548).

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan.  9/11/2014.  Lest we forget.

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