Frank Buttress: 190th Siege Battery RGA.

British War Medal 1914 - 1920.
Victory Medal.
Memorial Plaque.
61686 Gnr. F. D. Buttress, Royal Garrison Artillery.

William Harding Buttress married Annie Olivia Dunnicliff in 1891. Their first child, Ada Olivia, was born in 1894. Three years later, Frank Dunnicliff Buttress, their only son, was born in Aston, Birmingham. According to the 1901 Census, the family resided at 5 Fentham Road, Handsworth and William, now 36 years old, was employed as a Jeweller's traveller. Sadly, William died in 1905, leaving Annie to bring up the two children on her own and, at some point in the next few years, the family moved to 41 Crompton Road, Handsworth.

On 30th October 1915, Frank, now aged 19 and employed as a clerk, enlisted in the Royal Garrison Artillery and, after basic training, embarked at Southampton on 17th May 1916 for overseas service, initially with the 106th Siege Battery. During his time on the Western Front he suffered from impetigo and spent several spells in hospital, firstly in July - August 1916 and then from mid November 1916 till early 1917, when he spent time at the 16th General Hospital at Le Treport. On 9th January 1917, Frank was sent back to duty but was soon in hospital again, this time at the 1st Canadian General Hospital at Etaples, suffering from ICT (inflamed connective tissue) of the right hand. On 28th February, he was sent back to England on board the hospital ship "SS Brighton" and, in April, he was posted to the Siege Artillery Depot at Stowlangtoft in Suffolk.

On 25th June 1917, Frank again proceeded overseas and served for a while with the 126th Siege Battery. Early in 1918, he was again hospitalised at the 1st Southern General Hospital in Stourbridge, this time with ICT of the legs. On 6th May, he had recovered enough to be returned to France, joining the 190th Siege Battery on 21st May.

Two months later, on 29th July 1918, Frank Dunnicliff Buttress was killed in action. He was just 21 years old. He was buried in plot II C 5 in Hagle Dump Cemetery 7.5 km west of Ypres. Interestingly, in plot II B 6, lie the remains of 56943 Gunner Albert John Edmunds, also of the 190th Siege Battery, who was killed on the same day as Frank.

A few months later, some of Frank's personal possessions - letters, photos, three wallets, a book of poems, a cigarette case, a match-box and various cards - were returned to his mother in Handsworth. In September 1921, Annie Buttress wrote to the Royal Garrison Artillery Records Office in Dover enquiring about Frank's medals, which she had not yet received. In December, she acknowledged receipt of the British War Medal and Victory Medal. Annie Buttress died at the age of 77 in Birmingham in 1939. Frank's sister, Ada, lived till the age of 81, dying in Malvern in 1976.

Pte. Davies - A Veteran Of Two Conflicts.

1914 Star.
L- 6396 Pte. L. Davies, 2nd Royal Sussex Regiment.

Lawrence Davies was born in Lambeth around the year 1883 and at the age of 17 years and 4 months attested for the 4th East Surrey Militia. His Papers describe him as having a fair complexion, dark brown eyes, black hair and a scar on his forehead. His address at the time was 108 Lambeth Walk and he was working as a costermonger. Lawrence served in the Militia for the best part of a year before deciding that full time soldiering would be more to his taste and attesting for the Royal Sussex Regiment at Dublin on 5th March 1901, agreeing to serve for seven years with the Colours and five years in the Reserve. His Attestation Papers describe him as 5' 5" in height, weighing 116lbs and with an anchor tattooed on his left forearm. His occupation was now given as labourer.

Lawrence joined the Royal Sussex at the Regimental Depot in Chichester and at the end of March and is recorded on the 1901 Census as single, 18 years old and residing in the barracks there. His early army career did not go completely smoothly; on 4th April 1901 he was absent from tattoo and found drunk and using obscene language in the town at 11.15pm; at the end of the month was found guilty of "overstaying his pass", both offences getting him periods of 10 days confined to barracks.
In May 1902, Lawrence was posted to the 1st Battalion of the Royal Sussex, which was in South Africa, engaged in the struggle against the Boers. He would stay five months there, during which time he was awarded his 1st Good Conduct Pay and earned entitlement to the Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps for "Cape Colony", "Orange Free State" and "South Africa 1902".
Following the end of the Boer War, Lawrence accompanied the 1st Battalion to India, where he would stay for the next six years. His relationship with military authority continued to be a difficult one. On 17th July 1905 at Ambala, he was absent from bugle practice and found guilty of not complying with an order, the result being the forfeiting of his Good Conduct Badge and 8 days confined to barracks. Two years later, in July 1907, he was again deprived of a Good Conduct Badge and awarded 8 days CB for being out of bounds, damaging property belonging to the station master at Barogh and assaulting natives.

In December 1908, Lawrence was on his way back to England, where he joined the 2nd Battalion. In March 1909, he was transferred to the Army Reserve. His Transfer Papers describe his conduct with the Colours as "fair" but make the comment that there had been no instances of drunkenness in the last seven years. It is also noted that he ws a first class shot and had been an acting drummer for seven years. (The Regimental Band of the 1st Royal Sussex at Ambala in 1905 is shown in the photo above.)

Lawrence had re-engaged for the Army Reserve in 1913 and consequently was called up as a reservist on the outbreak of war in 1914. He rejoined the Royal Sussex Depot on 8th August 1914 and on 12th September was sent to France with a draft of reinforcements for the 2nd Battalion, thus earning entitlement to the 1914 Star and the proud title of "Old Contemptible".
In September 1915, he suffered a gunshot wound to the neck, probably in the 2nd Battalion's attack at Loos on 25th, during which Sjt Harry Wells won a posthumous Victoria Cross (as described in a previous post). There followed a period of convalescence in England and duty with the 3rd Battalion at Newhaven. Here Lawrence continued to find himself on the wrong side of military authority. In May 1916, found guilty of being drunk in barracks and striking his superior officer, he received 14 days detention. Two months later, another case of drunkenness got him a further 8 days detention.

On 16th August 1916, Lawrence was posted back to France to join the 4th Army Base Depot, before rejoining the 2nd Royal Sussex on 19th September. Apart from June 1918, when he had a month's furlough in England, he would serve with the 2nd Battalion till the end of the war and after. Lawrence Davies was finally transferred to the Class Z Army Reserve on 30th April 1919.

Col Sjt. Burrows - 21 Years Of Service.

Edward VII Army Long Service & Good Conduct Medal.

10385 C. Serjt. A. E. Burrows, Royal Fusiliers.

Alfred Ernest Burrows makes his first appearance in history as a 5 year old schoolboy recorded on the 1871 Census as living with his mother, Elizabeth, who is described as a seaman's wife, a younger brother Edmund and two aunts in Basset Street, Budock, near Falmouth in Cornwall. At the time of the 1881 Census, the family was still resident in Falmouth and Alfred, now 15 years old, was apprenticed to a local draper. However, in February 1888, he attested as a private soldier in the Rifle Brigade, was given the service number 9416, and commenced his basic training. He passed his 3rd Class Certificate of Education in April 1888 and was posted to the 2nd Rifle Brigade in June 1888. Early in 1889, Alfred had his first taste of overseas service when he was sent to join the 3rd Rifle Brigade, which was stationed at Rawalpindi in India.
He seems to have made steady progress in his new career, being awarded his 1st Good Conduct Pay and passing his 2nd Class Certificate of Education in February 1890. He was appointed Acting Corporal in April 1890, promoted Corporal in January 1894, appointed Acting Sergeant in 1895 and promoted Sergeant in 1896. In March 1897, Alfred re-engaged for the Rifle Brigade at Rawalpindi, agreeing to complete 21 years service.
In the summer of 1897, the 3rd Rifle Brigade was one of the British Battalions that took part in the Tochi Expedition, whose purpose was to punish the tribesmen living in the village of Maizar and the surrounding area, who had ambushed Mr. H. A. Gee, the Political Officer for Tochi, and his army escort. It was a frustrating campaign, the soldiers having to deal more with heat, flies and disease than with enemy forces. A good description of the expedition can be found here. For his part in the campaign, Alfred Burrows was awarded the India Medal 1895 - 1902 with clasp "Punjab Frontier 1897 - 98".

In December 1898, Alfred was back to England and posted to the 4th Rifle Brigade. In September 1899, he qualified as a Sergeant Instructor in Musketry at the Army School of Musketry in Hythe and was later posted to the Rifle Brigade Depot. The 1901 Census, taken on March 31st, records Alfred as 36 years old, still single and working as a hospital attendant in the military hospital at Alverstoke, Gosport.
In October 1901, Alfred joined the 5th Battalion of the Rifle Brigade and on the 18th December he married Jane Annie Turner. Alfred had little time to enjoy married life, however, as he was soon sent abroad again, this time to serve in the South African War, where British and Imperial forces were engaged in a long and bitter struggle with the Boers. He stayed in South Africa for 10 months, earning entitlement to a Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps for "Cape Colony", "Orange Free State" and "South Africa 1902".

Back in England again, Alfred was promoted to Colour Sergeant on 10th December 1902 and five months later, on 11th May 1903, he was posted for duty to the 4th Volunteer Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers as a Sergeant Instructor. Three children would be born to him and his wife over the next few years: Montague Alfred (b. 25/2/1904), Dorothy Annie (b. 5/2/1906) and Edna (b. 29/1/1907). His Long Service & Good Conduct Medal was awarded on 13th February 1906.
Alfred Ernest Burrows completed his 21 years of army service in February 1909 and was discharged at Hounslow. At the time he was on the permanent staff of the 4th Battalion, City of London Regiment (TF). His Discharge Papers describe him as 42 years and 2 months in age, 5' 5" in height and with a fair complexion, grey eyes and dark brown hair. His conduct had been "exemplary" and it was noted that he was "a good clerk, reliable, painstaking, willing & industrious. Will make an excellent caretaker." His intended place of residence was 44 Charteris Road, Tollington Park, London. Sadly, Alfred Burrows passed away on 12th July 1912.