Edgar Thomas Butler was born on Tuesday, 14th February 1899 in Bromley, Kent, the oldest child to Thomas Shingells Butler and Emma Harriet Baker. The Butlers had seven children in all; Edgar, Frank William, Doris, Hilda, John and two others that research has been unable to uncover, but one of whom died young. Frank died in 1902 when he was only a year old.

There is further confusion regarding the children due to a small piece published in the Hemel Gazette in December 1915 just before Edgar was killed. It states that along with her husband Thomas and son Edgar, Emma had a second son, recorded simply by his initial “N”, serving with the Forces. Sadly research has failed to identify “N”.

In 1901 the family lived at 137 High Street, Bromley where Edgar was born, and his father Thomas worked as a ‘Furniture Salesman and Cycle Maker’, a curious occupation and more likely to be two separate jobs.

Ten years later in 1911 the family had increased with the birth of Edgar’s two sisters and his youngest brother and lived at 44 High Street, Hornsey in Middlesex. Thomas now worked as a Motor Engineer repairing ‘motors’ and twelve-year-old Edgar and his sister Doris were at school.

The family moved briefly to St Alban’s on its way to Hemel Hempstead where it found a home in Queen Street. Edgar was enrolled at Boxmoor JMI School and entered on the 24th September 1912 leaving only three months later in December. His reason for leaving was given as “Liscard: Entered the Navy (Boy Apprentice)”. He was not quite fourteen years old.

On the outbreak of war Edgar enlisted in the Army. He may have had already left the Navy or it may be that in his determination to go and fight he knew his age was against him. His date of birth was known in the Navy, but as a new recruit in the Army he could falsify this in order to enlist.

He attested at Liverpool in December 1914 and initially joined the Bedfordshire Regiment when he was still under sixteen years of age. However, he transferred to the Hampshire Regiment sometime in 1915 and this may again have been because he was under-age. He would have had to undergo basic training and with the Bedfordshires, this meant coming in contact with other recruits or officers from Hemel Hempstead who knew him and his real age. Transferring to another Regiment would solve this problem.

He was eventually assigned to the 10th (Service) Battalion Hampshire Regiment and posted for training at Basingstoke when the Battalion had returned from Ireland. On completion of his training Edgar sailed from Liverpool in September. He landed at Mudros on the 3rd October just in time to take part in the landing at Salonika on the 5th October. He saw action on the 7th December at Kosturino in the retreat from Serbia and it was there on that day that he was killed. This was also Edgar’s first day in action.

Initially reported as ‘Presumed Dead’, his death on Tuesday, 7th December 1915 was not officially confirmed until December 1916.

Edgar is recorded twice on the Hemel Hempstead War Memorial, once as "Edgar Thomas" and once as "Edgar". There is a third Butler recorded as "P. T. Butler" and research has failed to identify this soldier. It is possible that this is also Edgar Thomas recorded as "P. T." instead of "E. T."

Edgar is Remembered with Honour at the Dorian Memorial, Greece, Pylon No.2, West Face, Col.3.

He was only 16 years and 10 months old when he died.

Edgar was eligible for the 1914-14 Star, the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.