Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Herbert Major Butt, born in April 1882 in Bath, England, the son of Henry Butt and Rosina Major Herbert Butt moved to South Australia in 1909. Butt worked as a Railway Porter for South Australian Railways.

He enlisted at age 32, on the 19th of August 1914. His Father was selected as his next of kin living at 46 New King St, Bath, Somerset, England. Herbert stated on his Attestation papers that he was a member of the Church of England. At 32 years of age, Butt had a fresh complexion, blue eyes, and brown hair. His recorded height at enlistment was 5’8’’, and he weighed 140lbs. 

Embarking overseas on the 22nd of October 1914, part of the B squadron in the 3rd Light Horse regiment. Butt’s service number was 11, signalling his significant early enlistment. 

In May of 1915, Butt joined the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (M.E.F), to conduct operations apart of the Gallipoli campaign. Little information about Herbert’s time in Gallipoli is recorded; however, in January of 1916, Herbert embarked from Mudros, Greece, which was a significant Allied base during Gallipoli, and arrived in Alexandria, Egypt. In Alexandria, Butt was attached to the 5th Division Base Depot at Sidi Bishr, a large base and training camp. On the first of March, he was taken on strength in the 1st Light House Reserve Regiment in Hermopolis, Egypt before being transferred to 2nd D.A.C (Divisional Ammunition Column) in Zeitoun, Egypt on the 11th. The D.A.C was responsible for artillery supply; he was appointed as acting Bombardier, a temporary role equivalent to a corporal but was artillery specific. 9 days later, Butt embarked from Alexandria, arriving on the 27th in Marseille, France.

 In France, during May of 1916, he was transferred to a base depot for the rearrangement of the artillery units before transferring back to his unit in July. On the 11th of September 1916, Butt was transferred to the 22nd Field Artillery Brigade (F.A.B) in France. He was posted to the 20th Battery in the field before being taken on strength in the 5th F.A.B to the 13th Battery on the 27th of January 1917. In August, Butt once again joined the 2nd D.A.C. in the field. Butt took leave on 14/09/17 in England and returned on 26/9/17.

In May 1918 Butt was appointed to Acting Bombardier. He was admitted to hospital with gastroenteritis in August and was sent to England for further treatment and rest. He was discharged to the No 1 Command Depot in Sutton Veny.

On the 3rd of December 1918, Butt returned to Australia for the special 1914 leave that recognised the soldier's long service. He arrived in Australia 27th January 1919

At the end of Butt’s 4 years and 253 days of service, he was officially discharged on April 28, 1918.  The reason for discharge was labelled as medically unfit, not due to misconduct. At the end of Butt’s service in 1920, he married his wife Ellen, in Hindmarsh, SA. She was born in 1892 and later died in August 1976. On the 5th of May 1924, Ellen and Herbert Butt’s son was born, Ronald Samuel Major Butt, who later passed away in 1984.

Butt himself passed away at the age of 64 on the 20th of May 1947 at the Repat Hospital, SA. He was buried at the Cheltenham Cemetery in the city of Charles Sturt, SA. After his death, 

Reference list:

Genealogy SA

https://www.genealogysa.org.au/index.php?option=com_gsa&view=gsa&layout=essearch&Itemid=193&collection_id=marriage&page_no=1&sort_by=&sort_direction=asc&Surname=Butt&GivenName=Herbert+major&year_from=&accuracy=&ShipName=

Find a grave

https://www.findagrave.com/

Butt H M Attestation Papers

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3177093&S=1&R=0

Virtual War Memorial Australia

https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/275071