Name
Frederick William Buttifant
1884
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
17/02/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
36257
Princess Charlotte of Wale's (Royal Berkshire Regiment)
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 11 D.
France
Headstone Inscription
He has no Headstone. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the missing in France.
UK & Other Memorials
Cheshunt Town Memorial, St Clemence Church Memorial, Turnford, Rochford Nurseries Memorial Turnford, Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental memorial All Saints Church Hertford
Pre War
Frederick William Buttifant was born in Stratford, Essex, in 1884, son of John Charles King Buttifant a, Station Master for the Great Eastern Region and Jane Buttifant (nee Blake).
1891 Census records Frederick aged 6, at school, living with his parents, two brothers Charles (8), Arthur (9 months), two sisters Annie (9), and Ethel (4) at, Green End, Braughing, Herts.
In October 1900, Frederick enlisted in Bedfordshire Regiment for 7 years with the Colours and 5 years in the Reserve, as a Boy Soldier, with the service number6830. He was discharged medically unfit on 25th March 1901.
1901 Census taken on the night of 31st March 1901, records Frederick (16), employed as a Market Garden Nurseryman, and boarding with Thomas and Jane Le Grys, and their family at 4, Nursery Road, Turnford, Herts.
His mother Jane died in 1903, aged 42.
Frederick married Annie Arnold in 1909, they went on to have two children Ethel Annie born 1910 and Stanley Frederick born 1914.
1911 Census records Frederick as, married to Annie and they have a daughter Ethel aged 9 months, he is employed as a Nursery Hand, and living at 3, Nunsbury Cottages, Turnford, Herts. His younger brother Harold in living with the family.
Wartime Service
Frederick enlisted at Cheshunt, Herts, initially posted to the Hertfordshire Regiment with the service number 5192. (His service number would indicate he enlisted between June and July 1915). Later transferred to the 6th Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire Regiment).
Seeing action on the Western Front. Frederick was killed in Action on 17th February 1917, during the Actions of Miraumont (17th – 18th February 1917), which was part of the Operations on the Ancre (11th Jan to 13th March 1917).
He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the missing on the Somme, France.
Additional Information
Annie received a widow’s pension of 20/11 a week from 3rd September 1917, and his effects of £2-17s-4d, Pay Owing and a War Gratuity of £7-10s-00d. His name is spelt Buttisfont on the Turnford Rochford Nurseries Memorial.
Service number appears as 30257 on some records.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Jonty Wild
