For sale - British War and Victory Medals named 3175 PTE D. NEWBUTT. MIDD’X R.; Memorial Plaque named DERRICK NEWBUTT.; Middlesex cap badge and brass Middlesex shoulder title. Comes with copies of M.I.C., medal roll, research notes, and Commonwealth War Graves Commission extract.

Lance Corporal Derrick Newbutt was born in October 1890 at Kensington, London. The 1911 census records him working as a Railway Gateman for the London Tube still living in Kensington. At the start of the war he was living in Notting Hill, Middlesex and enlisted at Ravenscourt Park, Middlesex.

He landed in France post 1/1/1916 initially serving with the 8th Battalion Middlesex Regiment (service # 3178). At some stage he transferred to the 17th Battalion Middlesex Regiment (6th Brigade 2nd Division) with the new service # G/43857.

He was killed during the Battle of Arleux on 28/4/1917, fighting with ‘D’ Company. Oppy Village and Wood were in the 6th Infantry Brigade area of attack. The battalion lost some 462 men that day, of the troops who " went over the top " in the morning, 1 officer and 41 wounded men eventually found their way back, whilst 3 wounded officers and 106 wounded other ranks were able to get back in the early stages of the fight.

The order of companies from right to left was D, C, B, and A. " At 4.25 a.m. our barrage came down, and at 4.33 a.m. the leading wave entered the enemy's front-line trench. The wire was found to be perfectly cut and the trench practically empty. The battalion pressed forward behind the creeping barrage, and the first objective (Blue Line) was reached with only a few casualties.

" Fighting became much heavier on reaching the line of the first objective, very heavy machine-gun and rifle fire being opened from the houses in the village. Captain Parfitt of D Company had been specially charged with the consolidation of the first objective, and this was taken in hand by the first wave, while the remainder pressed on towards the second objective (Green Line).

The Germans counter attacked and began pressing down in strength from the north, both down the German front-line trench and by the Crucifix Road, on the flanks of our two left companies, and had driven these back through the wood to the enemy front-line trench. Here these two companies were making a stand, but had by now sustained very heavy losses. The enemy also appears to have counter-attacked against the front and right flank as well, and had succeeded in re-entering the wood and getting in between the troops consolidating on the first objective and those who had been driven back to the Oppy Trench. The enemy had also worked up the Oppy Trench from the south, and were bombing up from that direction also. All communication with the remnants of the troops in the first objective was now cut off, and runners who attempted to get through to the troops still holding Oppy Trench were either killed or wounded.

The remnants of the two companies still holding on to the Oppy Trench finally exhausted all their bombs, and when reduced to about ten all told, made a dash for the Old British Line. One officer and three men succeeded in getting through.

" The troops on the first objective were not heard of again until a wounded officer succeeded in making his way back during the night (28th). His evidence made it clear that these troops had fought till they were practically exterminated by the superior forces of the enemy.

He was initially reported as missing but was later confirmed killed. He has no known grave and is commemorated at the Arras memorial.

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