Pte
Alfred Spencer Butterworth
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1898 |
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Place of birth: Saddleworth, Diggle, Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Printer |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 26496 |
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Enlistment place: Saddleworth, Diggle, Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment), 1/5th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 20/11/1917 |
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Place of death: De Knoet Farm, Zonnebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 19 |
Cemetery
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Perth Cemetery (China Wall) Plot: V Row: J Grave: 4 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Alfred Spencer Butterworth, a former printer, was born in 1898 in Saddleworth, Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. He was the son of John and Mary Spencer Butterworth. He enlisted in Saddleworth. He served in the Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment), 1/5th Battalion, part of the 147th (2nd West Riding) Brigade of the 49th (West Riding) Division.
On November 19, 1917, the battalion relieved the 1/5th West Yorkshire as battalion in support to left front line battalion on the divisional front on the Broodseinde Ridge just north of Beselare. A company was established at Tokio Ridge, B and C company were on the Westhoek Ridge and D company was on Anzac Ridge. On November 20, A Coy’s position on Tokio Ridge was heavily shelled most of the day. The other Coy’s were intermittently shelled during the day.
Albert Spencer, aged 19, was killed in action on November 20, 1917. Private Butterworth was initially buried where he fell, near De Knoet Farm (28.D.28.b.20.30). After the war, his remains were exhumed and reinterred in the Perth China Wall Cemetery, Plot V, Row J, Grave 4.
On November 19, 1917, the battalion relieved the 1/5th West Yorkshire as battalion in support to left front line battalion on the divisional front on the Broodseinde Ridge just north of Beselare. A company was established at Tokio Ridge, B and C company were on the Westhoek Ridge and D company was on Anzac Ridge. On November 20, A Coy’s position on Tokio Ridge was heavily shelled most of the day. The other Coy’s were intermittently shelled during the day.
Albert Spencer, aged 19, was killed in action on November 20, 1917. Private Butterworth was initially buried where he fell, near De Knoet Farm (28.D.28.b.20.30). After the war, his remains were exhumed and reinterred in the Perth China Wall Cemetery, Plot V, Row J, Grave 4.
Sources 3
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1/5th West Riding Regiment (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WO 95/2800/4). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG14). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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War Office: Soldiers’ Documents, First World War (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WO 363). https://www.ancestry.com/ Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/103096 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/687464 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=272fc766-8309-4432-aec5-233e5d3d5bc7 |