BUTTERWORTH, Alfred James

Alfred Butterworth was born in Cradley and attended Colley Lane school. He volunteered for the Staffordshire Territorials and joined the 1/5th Battalion. They went to France in the 46th (North Midlands) Division in the Spring of 1915 and Private Butterworth arrived on the 24th June. They served on relatively quiet sectors but were eventually called into the front line after the failure of the September attack at Loos. On the 13th October they were ordered to attack the Hohenzollern Redoubt which had defied British assaults for over two weeks. The Staffords' charge across terrain devoid of cover was gallant but the cost in lives was severe. Among those killed in action was Private Alfred Butterworth. He is commemorated on the Loos, Cradley and Halesowen Memorials.