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Dvr. Claude William Hendy Butcher
British Army 15th Battery, 36th Brigade Royal Field Artillery
from:115 Dukes Avenue, Muswell Hill, London
Claude Butcher was in the Middlesex Volunteer Artillery Regiment, which I think was a Territorial Army unit. He enlisted at Holloway on 3rd of December 1915 was discharged 28th of July 1919 having served 3 years 155 days on active service and 83 days in the reserves. He was discharged "physically unfit para 802 (XVI) K.R.".
He was wounded by shrapnel and his horse killed under him. He was treated in Parkhurst Military Hospital on the Isle of Wight. I still have the shrapnel they removed from him along with his spurs, bayonet holder and cap badge. I do not know exactly what part of his body was hit but he did not exhibit any disability in later life. Claude was torpedoed in February or March 1916 while crossing the channel from France. This came from a note sent to his mother on 2nd of March 1916.
After WW1 he was a clerk in an insurance office until his retirement. He was my uncle by marriage and I remember him as a dapper little man, very kind and gentle. He and my aunt did not have children. Unfortunately I did not ask him anything about his war service while he was alive.
