Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Flanders | Panel 52 and 54. | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.117 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 47C GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Son of Mrs. Amy Botterill, of London, and the late Mr. W. R. Botterill; husband of Ethel Elizabeth Botterill, of 82, Belmont Rd., Portswood, Southampton.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 2/5 London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade) |
2/5th (City of London) Battalion (London Rifle Brigade) Formed in London in September 1914. By December 1914, had moved to Haywards Heath and placed under orders of 2/1st London Brigade in 2/1st London Division. Moved to Norwich in May 1915 and formation retitled as 174th Brigade in 58th (2/1st London) Division. Moved on to Ipswich next month and then to Sutton Veny in July 1916. April 1916 : moved independently to France. 25 January 1917 : landed at Le Havre. 6 February 1918 : disbanded at Moreuil. |
| Action : The Battles of Ypres 1917 (Third Ypres, or Passchendaele) |
31 July - 10 November 1917. By the summer of 1917 the British Army was able for the first time to fight on its chosen ground on its terms. Having secured the southern ridges of Ypres at Messines in June, the main attack started on 31st July 1917 accompanied by what seemed like incessant heavy rain, which coupled with the artillery barrages conspired to turn much of the battlefield into a bog. Initial failure prompted changes in the high command and a strategy evolved to take the ring of ridges running across the Ypres salient in a series of 'bite and hold' operations, finally culminating in the capture of the most easterly ridge on which sat the infamous village of Passchendaele. The Official History carries the footnote ?The clerk power to investigate the exact losses was not available? but estimates of British casualties range from the official figure of 244,000 to almost 400,000. Within five months the Germans pushed the British back to the starting line, which was where they had been since May 1915.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Beach No. 2955 E.C. | Hampshire & IOW |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
22nd October 1912 | 26th November 1912 | 25th March 1913 |
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley