Butler C H L/Cpl PS/2457 21st Royal Fusiliers

Butler C H LCpl PS/2457 Royal Fusiliers. Photo copied and cropped from The Past on Glass at Sutton Archives. Photographer David Knights-Whittome. Shared under the Creative Commons Non Commercial.

Butler Clifford Hicks L/Cpl PS/2457 21st Royal Fusiliers

Enlsited in 21st Royal Fusiliers (Public Schools Battalion)  21st Oct 1914

Comm in the Black Watch 28th Jul 1915

To France with the Black Watch 25th Sep 1916

Killed In Action at The Battle of Arras 23r Apr 1917

Butler C H 2nd Lt 6th Black Watch

BUTLER, CLIFFORD HICKS, 2nd Lieut., 5th (Territorial), attd. 6th (Territorial), Battn. The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), eldest s. of Henry Jackson Butler, of Ber House, Norwich, Merchant, by his wife, Susanna, elder dau. of the late Charles Hicks, of The Bury, Felstead, co. Essex: b. Booton, near Norwich, 26 Sept. 1881: educ. Norwich Grammar School, and Jesus College, Oxford (Classical Exhibitioner), where he graduated with Honours, and was subsequently articled to the firm of Stevens, Miller & Jones, Solicitors, Norwich; came out First in Honours at the final examination of the Incorporated Law Society in 1908, receiving the Clement’s Inn and Daniel Reardon prizes, and the same year obtained an appointment as Assistant Solicitor to the East Riding Yorkshire County Council, which post he held until 1913, when he was appointed Assistant Solicitor to the Cambridgeshire County Council; joined the Public Schools Battn. of the Royal Fusiliers as a Private 21 Oct. 1914; obtained a commission in the Black Watch 28 July, 1915; served with the Expeditionary Force in France from 25 Sept. 1916, and was killed in action at the Battle of Arras 23 April, 1917.

Buried in Brown’s Copse British Cemetery, at Fampoux, near Arras. Lieut. Col. T. M. Booth wrote: “Your dear son fell while bravely leading his men in the terrific battle of 23 April. He was beloved by us all; his cheery and lovable disposition endeared him to us all, while it was evident that he was more than commonly gifted with the qualities of a leader,” and again: “I have rarely met a man who so impressed me with his character. I found him out pretty quickly, as I saw him for the first time at Courcellettesmin the trenches, and at once appreciated his worth.” Unm.

Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour 3

Posted in Black Watch, Royal Fusiliers.