Pte Sydney James BUTCHER

[Guest Hill 60]

SDGW:

54348 Private Sydney Butcher

Royal Army Medical Corps

Born: Ely, Cambridgeshire

Enlisted: Preston

Cause of death: Died

[christine liava'a]

Name: BUTCHER, SYDNEY JAMES

Initials: S J

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: Royal Army Medical Corps

Unit Text: 76th Sanitary Sect

Age: 26

Date of Death: 22/01/1916

Service No: 54348

Additional information: Son of John and Hannah Butcher, of The Limes, Market Square, Ely, Cambs.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: A. 16. 23.

Cemetery: ST. SEVER CEMETERY, ROUEN

During the First World War, Commonwealth camps and hospitals were stationed on the southern outskirts of Rouen. A base supply depot and the 3rd Echelon of General Headquarters were also established in the city. Almost all of the hospitals at Rouen remained there for practically the whole of the war. They included eight general, five stationary, one British Red Cross, one labour hospital, and No. 2 Convalescent Depot. A number of the dead from these hospitals were buried in other cemeteries, but the great majority were taken to the city cemetery of St. Sever. In September 1916, it was found necessary to begin an extension. St. Sever Cemetery contains 3,083 Commonwealth burials of the First World War.

[christine liava'a]

Roll of Honour, Holy Trinity, Ely, Cambridgeshire

[Myrtle]

Looks as if (according to the 1901 census) Sydney was the third of four children and his father was Jonathan rather than John Occ: Domestic Coachman.

[Guest Pete Wood]

Can some one explain the relationship of our man to this chap, please:

Pte. W BUTCHER 2nd Bt. Middlesex Reg.

Died 16/8/1917, age 26, buried: Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

Son of Phillip and Frances Jane Butcher, of "The Limes," Prickwillow Rd., Ely, Cambs.

He is remembered on the Ely, Prickwillow memorial website

His army number was TF 203353 and his name was Walter. He was KiA.

Cousins....??

[Myrtle]

TP

Jonathan Butcher and a Philip Butcher were both born in Littleport. However the former was 48 on the 1901 census and Philip was 34 years old therefore it isn't clear if they were brothers or cousins. I posted earlier that Sydney was the 3rd of 4 children. He may have been the fourth of five as there is also mention of Rose Butcher with a 11 month old son Frederick living in Ely. Rose's husband was a soldier in 1901 and as both Hannah and Jonathan were 48, he may have been their eldest child who no longer lived at home.

Myrtle