John Fitzhardinge Paul Butler

John Fitzhardinge Paul Butler
John Butler VC by Gallaher Cigarette Cards
Born	(1888-12-20)20 December 1888 Berkeley, Gloucestershire
Died	5 September 1916(1916-09-05) (aged 27) Matombo, German East Africa
Buried at	Morogoro Cemetery, Tanzania
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1907–1916
Rank	Captain
Unit	King's Royal Rifle Corps
Battles/wars	First World War Kamerun Campaign
Awards	Victoria Cross Distinguished Service Order
Relations	Edric Gifford, 3rd Baron Gifford VC (uncle)

John Fitzhardinge Paul Butler VC, DSO (20 December 1888 – 5 September 1916) was a British Army officer during the First World War and an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Background

Butler was born in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, on 20 December 1888 to Lieutenant Colonel Francis John Paul Butler and the Hon. Elspeth Butler (née Gifford), daughter of Robert Gifford, 2nd Baron Gifford. Butler was thus the nephew of fellow Victoria Cross recipient Edric Gifford, 3rd Baron Gifford.

In February 1907, Butler was commissioned into the King's Royal Rifle Corps.^[1] He was married, to Alice Amelia of Portfield, Chichester.

Military career

Butlerwas 25 years old, and a lieutenant in The King's Royal Rifle Corps, attached to Pioneer Company, Gold Coast Regiment, West African Frontier Force, and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 17 November 1914 in the Cameroons, Nigeria.

Citation

For most conspicuous bravery in the Cameroons, West Africa. On 17th November, 1914, with a party of 13 men, he went into the thick bush and at once attacked the enemy, in strength about 100, including several Europeans, defeated them, and captured their machine gun and many loads of ammunition. On 27th December, 1914, when on patrol duty, with a few men, he swam the Ekam River, which was held by the enemy, alone and in the face of a brisk fire, completed his reconnaissance on the further bank, and returned in safety. Two of his men were wounded while he was actually in the water

— The London Gazette, 23 August 1915^[2]

He later achieved the rank of captain, and was killed in action at Motomba on 5 September 1916. ^[3]

Medal

His medal is displayed at the Royal Green Jackets Museum in Winchester.

References

• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• VCs of the First World War - 1914 (Gerald Gliddon, 1994)