Private FRANK BUTLER

Frank was born in Marchwood, Hampshire in 1881, the son of Police Constable William Butler and his wife Sarah.   The family lived in Longlane Police Station, Eling at the time of the census that year[1].  By 1891 the family had moved to the police station at New Alresford, where William Butler was a Police Sergeant[2]. By 1901, Frank’s mother was a widow working as a charwoman and living in The Bury in Odiham.  To date, Frank’s own whereabouts in 1901 are unknown, but in 1908 he married Kate Annie Trowbridge in Hartley Wintney Registration District[3].  In 1911 Frank and Kate were living in Bellwood Cottage, Hartley Wintney with their daughter, Ivy Muriel, aged 1 year.  Frank was working as a domestic gardener[4].  His mother, Sarah, still lived in The Bury, Odiham, but was now a laundress[5].

Frank is commemorated on the Helles Memorial.

On 17 July 1915 the Battalion arrived back in Lemnos for a proposed full fortnight’s rest, but this was cut short due to fears that a fresh Turkish attack was imminent.  After only eleven days the battalion returned to Cape Helles.   However, there was some good news.  Battle Casualty Replacements had arrived to replace those killed, wounded or rendered ineffective for other reasons.  Sixteen men had returned from hospital, and the new arrivals included two officers and one hundred and ten other ranks.  The battalion strength had now increased so that there were than had originally landed in April.  The 88^th Brigade then spent five days in the reserve line before taking up their position behind the front line east of Gully Ravine (see Figure 4) ready for the planned attack on 6 August.  What is also noticeable from this plan is that the Hampshires had to assault over a considerable distance to reach their objective at H13[6].  Yet again, ‘artillery support was utterly inadequate’ (Regimental History, p.95) on the day of the attack.  In mid-afternoon the Battalion assaulted across the open ground but had little chance against the machine gun fire that continued to come at them from the flanks.  It was here that Thomas Redding was killed in action, having initially been reported as missing.  It was not until July 1916 that his widow received notification that he was considered to have been killed in action on that 6 August 1915[7].