SERGEANT 348 PATRICK BUTLER 24TH BATTALION TYNESIDE IRISH BRIGADE
NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS
My grandfather was born in Clonmel, County Tipperary in 1877 and came to Newcastle upon Tyne in 1880.
In 1896 he married Sarah Ann and they lived in Lambton Court, Prudhoe Street, Newcastle - Prudhoe Street was where Marks and Spencer’s is now.
He worked as a labourer before joining the Army and it is believed he was one of the first in Newcastle to enlist in the 24th Battalion Tyneside Irish Brigade - Northumberland Fusiliers.
He trained the soldiers in Alnwick and named the hut he lived in Tara’s Hall.
My father told me he remembered the day his father went off to war in France. He was 7-years-old at the time and remembers his father giving his wedding ring and wrist watch to his wife and said to take care of herself and the children as he was sure he would not be coming back. He obviously knew what was in store for him.
Before setting off for France, my grandfather was among 1100 men who marched over to Gateshead where they attended mass at St. Joseph’s Church. Afterwards, they marched back to Newcastle's Central Railway Station and then off to war.
Father Tom Cass, who said my father’s funeral mass, informed me that he knew the priest who said the mass at St Joseph’s, and that during the first week of the Battle at the Somme, only a handful who were present at the mass, remained alive.
On the night of 5th/6th June 1916 my grandfather (a bombing Sergeant) was in a raiding party which attacked the German front line. For that, he and his men received what is called a ‘Card of Honour’ for their conspicuous good work.
At 7.28am on 1st July 1916 the battle of the Somme commenced with a huge explosion at what is now called the Lochnagar Crater. Apparently the explosion was so large it was heard in London.
At 7.30am the attack started when they climbed out of the trenches and went ‘over the top’. They believed, that since the Germans had been attacked by British artillery for a week and about 1 million shells had been dropped on them, all the British had to do was walk over to the German trenches and take them.
The Germans were well underground and survived the onslaught and also knew from intercepting the wireless transmissions of the British communications that the attack was coming.
They came up, manned their machine guns and mowed down the oncoming British soldiers causing the greatest loss of men ever to be lost in one day by the British Army.
My grandfather made it as far as the Lochnagar Crater where he saw his Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Meredith Howard, who had been wounded, lying in a shell hole.
He and another soldier managed to drag him into the crater and in doing so my grandfather was shot and killed by a German sniper. Colonel Howard died the next day.
My grandfather is buried in Orvillers Cemetery, La Boiselle, Albert, a short distance from where he died.
NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS
My grandfather was born in Clonmel, County Tipperary in 1877 and came to Newcastle upon Tyne in 1880.
In 1896 he married Sarah Ann and they lived in Lambton Court, Prudhoe Street, Newcastle - Prudhoe Street was where Marks and Spencer’s is now.
He worked as a labourer before joining the Army and it is believed he was one of the first in Newcastle to enlist in the 24th Battalion Tyneside Irish Brigade - Northumberland Fusiliers.
He trained the soldiers in Alnwick and named the hut he lived in Tara’s Hall.
My father told me he remembered the day his father went off to war in France. He was 7-years-old at the time and remembers his father giving his wedding ring and wrist watch to his wife and said to take care of herself and the children as he was sure he would not be coming back. He obviously knew what was in store for him.
Before setting off for France, my grandfather was among 1100 men who marched over to Gateshead where they attended mass at St. Joseph’s Church. Afterwards, they marched back to Newcastle's Central Railway Station and then off to war.
Father Tom Cass, who said my father’s funeral mass, informed me that he knew the priest who said the mass at St Joseph’s, and that during the first week of the Battle at the Somme, only a handful who were present at the mass, remained alive.
On the night of 5th/6th June 1916 my grandfather (a bombing Sergeant) was in a raiding party which attacked the German front line. For that, he and his men received what is called a ‘Card of Honour’ for their conspicuous good work.
At 7.28am on 1st July 1916 the battle of the Somme commenced with a huge explosion at what is now called the Lochnagar Crater. Apparently the explosion was so large it was heard in London.
At 7.30am the attack started when they climbed out of the trenches and went ‘over the top’. They believed, that since the Germans had been attacked by British artillery for a week and about 1 million shells had been dropped on them, all the British had to do was walk over to the German trenches and take them.
The Germans were well underground and survived the onslaught and also knew from intercepting the wireless transmissions of the British communications that the attack was coming.
They came up, manned their machine guns and mowed down the oncoming British soldiers causing the greatest loss of men ever to be lost in one day by the British Army.
My grandfather made it as far as the Lochnagar Crater where he saw his Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Meredith Howard, who had been wounded, lying in a shell hole.
He and another soldier managed to drag him into the crater and in doing so my grandfather was shot and killed by a German sniper. Colonel Howard died the next day.
My grandfather is buried in Orvillers Cemetery, La Boiselle, Albert, a short distance from where he died.