FREDERICK JAMES BUTT

Frederick James Butt was born in Freshwater, Bay de Verde, on October 14th, 1893. He was one of ten children born to George and Mary Butt.

On January 25th, 1915, he signed up with the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve. In the role of Ordinary Seaman, he was assigned to the trawler, HMT Othello II, which was serving as a minesweeper.

On October 31st, 1915, at 11:55 am, while in the English Channel, off Leathercoat, Kent, HMT Othello II was sunk by a mine from the German submarine UC-6, Captained by Matthias Graf von Schmettow. Nine souls were lost and only one survivor. A Cabin Boy (name unknown), was in the wheelhouse at the time with the second-hand, skipper and helmsman. The three men managed to squeeze and push him through a window opening. They could not follow and went down with the ship

Seventeen days earlier, Fred had celebrated his 22nd Birthday. He had only been serving his King and Country for little more than ten months. He was the only Newfoundlander on the ship, the rest of the crew were from England.

Through the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, all nine men are buried in Dover (St. James's) Cemetery, Kent, England.