Butler, Dell Alfred
Personal Information
Rank | F/O |
Forename(s) | Dell Alfred |
Surname | Butler |
Gender | M |
Age | 34 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 14-10-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of Alfred Celestial Butler and Martha Jane Butler (née Moore), of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Husband of Mary Butler (née Wright) at Marton, Ontario on 4 April 1931. Father of Dell Wright Butler, born 15 April 1932 and Douglas Keith Butler, born 24 July 1934. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax III |
Serial Number | MZ674 |
Markings | KW- Nobody's Baby |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Reichswald Forest War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 31. A. 2. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 139 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/36829 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 425 (Alouette) |
Trade | Navigator |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Outside Village Hall, Dishforth, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone and inscribed metal plaque |
Memorial Text | In memory of the Canadian aircrew of 425 and 426 Sqns RCAF who served at RAF Dishforth, 1942-1945 |
Location | Village Green, Tholthorpe, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone, inscribed metal plaque and Maple Tree |
Memorial Text | A memorial, in French, to those Canadians who served at RAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 425 Sqn |
Location | Former Control Tower, Tholthorpe Airfield, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | A memorial to those Canadians who served at RAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 425 Sqn |
Miscellaneous Information
Dell was born at Toronto, Ontario on 15 December 1909. His father, who died 1916, was born in England and had worked as a Chef and his mother was born in Ireland. He had two brothers, one named Thomas the second was given on his enlistment papers only by Initials W. B. The schools he attended were Dufferin Toronto 1915-1920 and S.S. No.2 Chamberlain, 1920-1923, (High School Entrance). His sport interests were track & field, fencing and hockey and athletics were his hobby. Between 1927 and 1929 he worked as a night storeman, as a baggage man between 1929-1931, as a senior checker between 1932-1938 and then as a shed checker between 1938-1940. From 1940 until 1944 he worked for CNR as an accountant until enlisting on 4 June 1941. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 14-10-1944 |
End Date | 14-10-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Tholthorpe |
Day/Night Raid | Day |
Operation | Duisburg. 1013 aircraft on Operation Hurricane- to demonstrate to the enemy the overwhelming air superiority of both Bomber Command and the US 8th Air Force. RAF fighters provided an escort. 957 bombers dropped 3574 tons of high explosives and 820 tons of incendiaries. 14 aircraft were lost (1.4%). By comparison, the US 8th Air Force despatched 1251 and 749 fighters with more than 1000 dropping their bomb load on Köln. 5 bombers and 1 fighter lost. No enemy fighters were seen on either raid. |
Reason for Loss | Hit in the starboard wing by flak shortly after released their bomb load. Although the shell passed through the wing without exploding, the wing caught light. The pilot dived in an attempt to put out the fire without success., after which he reduced the air speed and ordered the crew to bale out but not all of the crew were able to oblige. P/O Hogg was amongst those who were able to escape but his parachute failed to open and, although still alive when the German authorities located him, he died before they were able to get him to hospital. F/O Butler's body was found in the same field as the aircraft crashed and the bodies of P/O Eade and P/O Crabtree remained in the aircraft until it was excavated. |