Henry Charles Butcher

A Private with the 2nd Battalion, Henry died on 30th of November 1917 at the age of 19. 

Henry was born at Kessingland in 1898, a son of Charles and Henrietta Butcher. He was baptised at Saint Edmund’s Church, Kessingland, on 17 April 1898. In 1901 his family lived at High Street, Kessingland. In 1911 their address was ‘near the Blacksmith’s Shop, Kessingland.’ Later his mother lived at London Road, Kessingland.

Henry was living at Kessingland and working as a warehouseman when he attested for the Army at Lowestoft on 23 May 1916. He joined the Coldstream Guards, service number 19885. He was posted to France on 26 May 1917 to join the 2nd Battalion. 

On 29 November 1917 the 2nd Battalion marched to billets at Metz en Couture. On 30 November, in conjunction with the 3rd Battalion Coldstream Guards and the 1st Battalion Irish Guards, they counter-attacked the enemy and retook Gouzeancourt and were able to consolidated a line near the village. In the initial stages of the attack there was considerable shelling, both shrapnel and high explosive, and on reached the crest of a ridge the battalion were subjected to heavy machine-gun fire. By 1.30 p.m. the whole village had been taken and units of the 2nd Battalion pressed on to Quentin Ridge. 

The battalion’s casualties for 30 November were:
Officers: two killed, four wounded
Other ranks: 235 killed, wounded and missing

Henry was killed in action at Gouzeancourt.