James Ernest Butcher

A Private with the 2nd Battalion, James died on 26th of October 1917 at the age of 30. 

James was born at Lowestoft in 1887, a son of George and Elizabeth Butcher. In 1891 his family lived at 9 Wellington Cottages, and, by 1901, at 8 Mariners Street. 

In 1911 James was a fish worker, lodging with Lewis Warrington and family at 115 Walker Street, Hull. 

By June 1915 James had returned to Lowestoft and lived at Corke’s Buildings, Raglan Street, and was a fishworker. He married Margaret Paterson at Stornoway, possibly at Saint Columb’s Church, on 26 June 1915. Margaret’s home was at Church Street, Harbour Road, Eyemouth, Scotland. 

In 1916 James and Margaret lived at 104 Havelock Street, Newington, near Hull, and James was a fish curer. Later Margaret lived at 11 Wellington Terrace, Hessle Road, Hull. Margaret died in 1918 and Jane Cole, of 12 Seaton Terrace, Walcott Street, Hessle Road, Hull, became guardian to their children. 

James enlisted in the Army at Manchester. He joined the Border Regiment, service number 203115, and was posted to the 4th (Reserve) Battalion before being posted to the 2nd Battalion in France. 

On 26 October 1917 the 2nd Battalion was ordered to attack and hold a line at Gheluvelt, as part of operations carried out by 20th Brigade. The attack was carried out under a creeping barrage that started at 5.40 a.m. and was timed to reach the objective at 6.36 a.m. At 5.40 a.m. the battalion began their advance, in normal formation, over marshy ground, through which the men were only just able to move. Immediately they encountered machine-gun fire from Lewis House, on the right, and ‘pepper boxes’ on the left. C Company on the right advanced into the valley and found themselves up to their wastes in mud: C Company was almost entirely wiped out. D Company could not advance to their front and moved over toward the Menin Road: D Company was almost entirely wiped out by machine-gun fire. B Company moved against the pepper boxes and suffered many casualties. A Company now came up and was able to capture one of the pepper boxes and a machine-gun. Captain Little reorganised some of the men and made an attack which came within about 150 yards of Gheluvelt. By 10 a.m. it was realised that the objectives could not be taken with the number of men that were left. The remnant of the battalion were now regrouped and instructed to hold posts along their original front line. 

The battalion’s casualties for 26 October were:
Officers: five killed, two wounded, one missing
Othe ranks: 6 killed, 174 wounded, 126 missing

James was reported missing on 26 October and later presumed to have been killed in action on that date.