Ralph Butterfield

Died of wounds on 30/10/1917. He was Private 32798 6th Bn. York & Lancaster Regiment. Born at Clayton, Bradford where he also enlisted. MIC – Victory and British War medals. He is buried at Clayton Baptist Chapel yard, F. A. 2.

This from “The Men of Clayton Who Died in the Two World Wars” by Dan Eaton : -
“Butterfield. Ralph, b.1887, Bradford”
Ralph joined up into the army in Bradford city centre in January 1917, having left his place of employment that previously mad him exempt from active war service. He was enlisted into the 6th (Service) Battalion of the York & Lancaster Regiment where he trained for two months before being hurried over to France as reinforcement in March 1917.
Over the next six months he lived in (and survived) trench life in France before being badly wounded through the thigh in early October 1917. He was quickly brought back to England and placed in hospital in Sheffield in the hope that he might recover from the wound. The Bradford Weekly Telegraph made mention of him on 19th October 1917, stating that he was wounded but stable in hospital. However shortly afterwards, he must have taken a turn for the worse, as he died eleven days later.
Ralph’s return to Clayton for burial would have been a solemn one for his family who lived on Station Road , they must have felt a deep sorrow following his death. This was probably extended to many of the local population as he was a well liked Sunday school teacher at the Baptist Church”.