BX January 24, 1916
Heart Affected by Shell Burst – Co. Q.M.S. W. Butler is Now in Hospital in Kent, England
Mr. Joseph Butler, 271 Colborne Street this morning received a letter from the Canadian Red Cross Society in England, notifying him that his son, Co. Q.M.S. William Butler, is now in the High Beach Hospital, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent, England, suffering from shock. The bursting of a shell affected his heart, though he is not actually wounded. He is getting on well and improving rapidly.
A small bag of comforts has been sent to him by the Red Cross and visitors from that society will call on him from time to time.
Company Q.M.S. W. Butler was at Hanover when the war broke out. He enlisted at Hamilton with the First Battalion. He was well known here, being a native of the city. In his youth being on the routes of The Expositor. For nine years he was a member of the Dufferin Rifles and for seven years a member of the sergeant’s mess. A practical electrician by trade, he formerly kept an electrical store on Colborne Street. He is married with one child, his family residing in New York City where Mrs. Butler is taking a course.
BX April 14, 1916
Twice Knocked Over and Buried – Sergt.-Major Butler, Brantford, Invalided Home with Injured Heart
St. John, N.B., April 13 – Among the returned officers here on the Scandinavian was Sergeant Major William Butler of Brantford, Ontario. Near Waveringham a “Jack Johnson” burst a short distance in front of the parapet behind which he was sending a rain of lead in the direction of the enemy, and he was buried in the debris. He was dug out and carried to a hospital. A few days later he was knocked down twice as a result of shock from high explosive shells. Later he was again buried in one of the front trenches, and as a result, one of the valves of his heart was injured, and he was sent back to England.
C.S.M. Butler is a son of Joseph Butler, grocer, 271 Colborne Street, who yesterday received a telegram that he had arrived safely at St. John. When he left Brantford he was a sergeant.
BX April 17, 1916
Returned Hero to Arrive Tuesday
In all probability Q.S.M. Butler who is being invalided home from the front will arrive in town tomorrow evening from Toronto at 7.32. Word to this effect was received by John S. Dowling chairman of the Soldiers’ Aid Commission this morning. It is the intention to give this hero a good civic reception.
Joseph Butler, grocer, at 271 Colborne Street, father of Quartermaster Sergeant Major William Butler, received a card this morning from his son, written at Quebec, stating that he did not expect to arrive until Tuesday. His baggage, apparently shipped direct, arrived in the city this morning.
Co. Sergt.-Major Butler is a married man. After he enlisted his wife went to the United States to train for a nurse with the intention, it is understood, of going overseas. She is at present in an American hospital.
BX April 19, 1916
The Thrilling Experiences of Q.M.S. Butler – Hero Who Was Invalided Home Was Given Royal Reception – Through Many Battles – Was in the Fights at Ypres, Givenchy, Festubert, La Bassee and Hill 60, and Had Many Close Calls From Death
Through five of the biggest fights of the present European struggle, twice blown up by the concussion of huge shells exploding near him in the trenches at Ypres, struck by fragments of flying shrapnel at Givenchy, injured in the trenches at Festubert when a “Jack Johnson” hurled the sandbags protecting him into the trenches, burying him beneath an avalanche of earth, and a veteran of the struggles at La Bassee and Hill 60, Quartermaster-Sergt.-Major William Butler of 271 Colborne Street arrived in Brantford at 8 o’clock last evening, having been invalided home with a torn heart valve.
With the band of the 125th Battalion playing inspiring martial music and amidst the cheers of hundreds of citizens, Q.S.M. Butler was welcomed home. Although the train was about twenty minutes late the big crowd continued to increase and there was nothing left to be desired in the reception.
Immediately the train pulled in and Butler stepped off. Admiring friends grabbed his baggage and carried it to the waiting automobile in which was sitting his proud father and step-mother. Ald. John S. Dowling, chairman, and Ex-Mayor Spence, vice-chairman of the Soldiers’ Aid Commission, were on the platform and extended a welcome hand to Butler.
Without wasting any time he was hurried to his anxiously waiting parents, where a touching scene was enacted. The parade then formed up with the band and several hundred soldiers in the lead. From the station to Colborne Street, Market Street was packed with cheering people, and it is doubtful if ever before so many turned out to welcome a hero home.
A Civic Welcome
On the Market Square the parade lined up and amidst thunderous cheers a formal civic welcome was given Butler. Ald. J.S. Dowling, Ex-Mayor Spence and W.S. Brewster, K.C., spoke briefly. Mr. Spence pointed out the fine example Butler had set the boys of Brantford and he hoped that someone in the crowd would take the vacant place made by the invaliding home of Q.M.S. Butler. Cries for Butler were then heard on all sides.
Back In Three Months
Rising in the automobile Butler feelingly remarked that the reception was more than he had expected. He stated that he was going back in three months, and hoped that he would see a lot more Brantford boys there when he got back.
Amidst cheers, voices amongst the soldiers called out; “Send us over then, we are ready to go!”
On Mr. Brewster rising to speak, a voice called out; “Get us some recruits, Brewster.” Following the lead of Mr. Spence, Mr. Brewster made an appeal to the men not in khaki to get into it at once, as the example set by Butler was one worthy of emulation. Butler had, he said, done his duty and was he expected, the happiest man in Brantford tonight. Other happy men were the wearers of khaki, and proving this the soldiers set up a tumultuous cheer. Brantford had done well, but he did not think it had done all it should yet, and he asked some men in the gathering to silently decide to fill the place made vacant by Butler.
More cheers were given and the returned hero was driven to his home where a number of relatives awaited him.
Sergt.-Major Butler left for overseas service with the First Contingent in September of 1914. He went rank and file with the first quota from Brantford and went over to France in the first boatload of Canadians. For four months after his exciting experiences in France he was in a hospital in England.
He was in charge of 30 returned soldiers who arrived in Toronto yesterday morning, all wounded and incapacitated. Fifteen of the thirty lived in Toronto. Despite the strenuous campaign he was through, Sergt.-Major Butler showed no outward signs of his illness last evening. According to his friends he was looking stouter and better than he had ever looked before he enlisted.
BX April 19, 1916
Twice Wounded and Twice Buried Q.M.S. Butler Will Return To Front – Was Through Many of the Great Battles – Brantford Hero, Who Was on First Boat Which Landed Canadian Troops in France, Had Many Close Calls While in the Trenches – Some of His Vivid Experiences in the Firing Line
In the words of the illustrious General Sherman “War is Hell.” Quartermaster Sergeant Major William Butler, 271 Colborne Street, who arrived home last evening for a three month’s rest, described the war to The Expositor this morning.
During the past year Butler has had many thrilling experiences that would last an ordinary man a lifetime. Undeterred, however, it is Butler’s intention to go back to the front to get the men who got him.
In all, Butler was in the trenches for ten and a half months. In that time he was wounded twice on both hands, buried three times and thrown three times from the concussion of Hun shells.
One of the first Canadians to volunteer was this Brantford hero. It was first all through in his case. He left Canada on the first ship that took troops to the Old Country and went over to France on the first shipload of Canadians. He was with the 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade, 1st Contingent, but not the first to come back, as he remarked.
All the biggest battles were experienced by Butler, who was especially engaged in the transporting of rations to the trenches. This work was particularly hazardous and all had to be done at night. Even at that the Germans seemed to know when it was being done and caught the parties both coming and going.
Sergeant Butler related an incident one evening which, while humorous, might have been serious. The ration party were bringing a number of empty biscuit boxes back from the trenches on a rough-bier. The sniper began to take a few pot shots and the tin boxes started to rattle around the road.
This acquainted the Germans with their location and machine guns turned on to the road. For fully ten minutes the road was swept by the machine gun. Butler got into a muddy ditch and spent an unpleasant half hour. After it was all over he was unrecognizable from his mud bath. The night in question was a bright moonlight one, so the perils will be readily understood.
Sergt. Butler enlisted at Hanover, being three hours late in catching the first Brantford quota. He joined the Owen Sound party and when he reached Valcartier was attached to the 1st Battalion, with which he went through all the severe fighting.
At Valcartier he was regimental Quartermaster sergeant. He left Canada behind on Sept. 26, sailing on the first boat to leave, the Laurentic. On Oct. 16 they landed in England and were at Bustard Camp, Salisbury Plain, till Feb. 7, when they went to France.
After they had landed at Strezars, France, they had a three days’ trip to Strezell and marched from there for three miles to Merrise. Then came a fifteen mile jaunt to Armentieres. The First Battalion only received four days breaking in before they took the trenches at Fleur Bay. This was their first stand against the enemy and their first taste of fire. Things were fairly quiet here except for the snipers. Butler’s first experiences with a sniper was to have his hat shot off.
He described the muffling of the wagon wheels to prevent the Germans knowing the supplies were being transported. Automobile tires were used for this work and it was extremely ludicrous to see them being put on.
Ypres was the next battle Butler went through. On the left of the First Battalion, here was the 4th with the 3rd in reserve. After three days they were relieved by the 9th Durhams, an Imperial regiment. This he describes as a wicked fight, running from the 23rd to the 28th of April, a year ago.
This defense of Calais, while the biggest battle in his opinion, was not the hottest, though he was wounded in the hand and thrown out of the trench by the concussion of a shell.
Another hot fight was that of Festubert, which they next went through. The Canadian Scottish lost heavily in this battle, Butler was buried here when the parapet was blown in on him. So sudden was it he did not get time to find out whether it was a “Jack Johnson” or a “coal box” that was his undoing.
The fight at Givenchy was started at 6 o’clock at night and was over the next morning. Here 698 went in and only 292 came out. Out of 23 officers 22 were lost. Butler went through this fight unscathed, although it was a terribly hot engagement.
It will be readily seen that the 1st Battalion was a sort of “flying column,” getting a touch of all the big battles. From Givenchy they went to Gonningham for a six day rest.
Ploege Street came next and here Butler was thrown twice and buried again. This he describes as a quiet battle. From Ploege Street to Messines was the next jump. Here he was again buried and wounded in the other hand.
During the big battle at Neuve Chapelle the 1st Battalion was holding the line at Fleur Bay and while the fight was on at Lois the 1st Battalion was at Messines.
These fights left Butler with an injured heart valve, which eventually caused his invaliding home. He was first in No. 13 Hospital at Boulogne and then a week in the V.A.D. Hospital at Westgate-on-Sea. Three weeks were spent at the Shorncliffe Military Hospital and nine weeks at the discharge depot at Bath.
