Alfred Edwin Butcher

Alfred was born on 4^thApril 1886 at Port Gawler, the son of William.  William married Harriet Elizabeth Garrett on 12^th September 1882 at Gawler. They had the following children;

William Benjamin Noble   b. 23 May 1883 at Gawler South

Charles Arthur                   b. 8 August 1884 at Gawler South

Alfred Edwin                      b. 4 April 1886 at Gawler South

Beryl Burnip                       b. 11 April 1888 at Gawler West

Richard Thomas               b. 20 Oct 1890 at Willaston

Stephen George                b. 25 May 1893 at Gawler South
Albert Edward                   b. 3rd June 1896 at Gawler South

Codin Leonard                   b. 20 Oct 1898 at Gawler South

Dorothy Ellen                    b. 29 Oct 1900 at Gawler West

Allison Jack                        b. 4 July 1906 at Gawler West

Alfred enjoyed cricket, in 1911 he was captain of Smithfield Cricket Club and in 1914 he played for Gawler. Professionally he became a wheelwright.

Upon enlistment he was attached to the 4th Light Horse and became a driver. He embarked on the “Minneapolis” for overseas on 20^th October 1915 and proceeded to France.   On 16^th September 1918 he was promoted to corporal with the 20^th Company AASC.

Alfred returned to Australia on January 1919.  

On 1^st March 1924 Alfred married Ivy Mary Moss at the Baptist Church Gawler.  Alfred appears to have become a teacher and in 1927 he was helping to set up a woodworking centre at the Balaklava School. On 30^th March 1928 he was appointed to the Port Adelaide Boys School.

The couple had two sons, Kenneth Vernon, born at Adelaide on 1^st December 1924 and Rex.

Kenneth was dux of his grade 5 class at Parkside Primary School and he later became a clerk before joining the armed forces during the Second World War. The following article appeared in the Adelaide Advertiser on 7^th August 1945.

ADELAIDE’S PILOT’S ADVENTURE

Three-Day Trek through Borneo Jungle

The resourcefulness and cold determination of a 20 year-old Adelaide Kittyhawk pilot extricated him from a desperate situation last week. When he had to jump from his burning machine after attacking Eibu 200 miles south of Labuan last Monday.W.O. Ken Butcher, an Adelaide clerk, floated over thick jungle 10 miles from the west coast of Borneo.

He landed in a 100-ft. high tree and was suspended by his parachute 80 ft. from the ground. By swinging his parachute back and forth he was able to reach the trunk, release his harness and clamber down. With a map and compass he set a course for the coast, only 10 miles away as the crow flies, but a tortuous three-day journey for the young pilot. “I could not sleep at night because I was wet through and attacked by determined mosquitoes which got through the veil over my face” he said. Drinking sparingly from his water bottle, and using only a little of his emergency rations, he pushed on until he came to a river, where he bathed, and ate from a native garden on Wednesday afternoon.

“I saw a lot of kites flying overhead looking for me” W.O. Butcher said “but I was not worried because I knew I was on the right track for the coast and that would be their first chance to see me”.

When he hit the coast in the exact spot he had determined upon he hid in a disused native hut until Thursday morning when he put to sea in a canoe he found on the beach. Before he had been afloat half an hour a RAAF Catalina flew overhead and spotted the pilot standing up in the canoe and waving a scarf. W.O.Butcher suffered no ill effects from his adventure, (picture)

On 29^th July 1947 Ken became engaged to Norma Helen Ciprano, youngest daughter of Mr.Peter and the late Mrs. Hazel Ciprano of Plympton. They later married. At this time Alfred and Ivy were living at Frewville. In 1951 Ken was in the Quorn Cricket Club and assured Quorn of a win in the Country Cricket annual games against Roseworthy College at Adelaide South. Ken scored 129 not out, the day’s highest score. (picture)

Alfred Butcher died suddenly on 5^th October 1951 at 21 Main Ave, Frewville aged 64. Ivy died on 10^th August 1965 aged 72.

On May 19^th 1915, a social was held to farewell two young men who were leaving for the front, one of whom was A E Butcher.  Not sure if it was Albert or Arthur.  They received watches from the Smithfield Cricket Club and Mr A.Thomas from the tennis club handed Alfred a pocket book.