They made the Ultimate Sacrifice

BUTLER, Arthur Herbert, OS, V69293, RCNVR, MPK - 24 Nov 1944, HMCS SHAWINIGAN - Son of Arthur Ernest and Edith Mabel Butler, of Oakville, Ontario.

OS Butler died when HMCS SHAWINIGAN was sunk by U-1228 on 24 Nov 1944. Of her crew of 91, there were no survivors.

Arthur Butler - Story by Scott, Oakville Trafalgar High School

Introduction: None of us have ever been to war or seen a man die. Nor have we felt the cold grip of death overcome us. Arthur Herbert Butler experienced all of these sights, sounds, and feelings at the tender age of 20. No one knew of the contributions this man made to the war effort and to his country, until now. We remember Arthur as a courageous and loyal man who laid down his life during the heat of battle. This is the story of Arthur Herbert Butler.

Enlistment/Attestation: Arthur grew up with loving parents, Edith and Arthur Butler Sr., and his sister Grace in Oakville. They were enthusiastic members of the Church of England. Butler attended Oakville High School, but completed only one year before dropping out in grade 10. Arthur was also a member of the Lorne Scots military regiment CA 2nd (Res) BN from April 27 to August 21 of 1943. On August 23, 1943, Butler enlisted in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve in Hamilton, Ontario. Not many notes were taken from the interviewing officers, but the medical staff found he had no wounds or scars present and that Butler was very healthy. Arthur was very lean and tall, described as 5'11 weighing only 163 lbs. He had blue eyes, brown hair, and a dark complexion. Butler listed no references when enlisting for duty.

Occupational History: After leaving Oakville High School he briefly held down a job assembling aircrafts in Toronto. It was well into the war by the time Butler finally was able to enlist, but he contributed to the early war effort by helping build allied planes. Butler did not have a lot of work experience considering he was young when he enlisted for war. Butler did not hint at any future plans or occupations he wished to strive for when he returned home. This could have suggested that Butler wanted to continue his service in the military after the war had ended.

Record of Service Canada: Butler began his military career in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve. His rank remained the same throughout his time in the military. Butler was classified as an Ordinary Seaman, which is an apprenticeship in the process of becoming an Able Seaman. Arthur Herbert Butler was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the CVSM Medal and Clasp, and the War 1945 Medal. He was awarded the 1939-45 Star for his 6 months of contribution to the R.C.N.V.R. Butler was awarded the CVSM Medal and clasp for voluntarily signing up for service, and he was also awarded the War Medal for serving for 28 days as a merchant sailor.

Record of Service Europe: Arthur Herbert Butler never got a chance to journey to Europe during his time of service. Arthur died on November 24th, 1944, which was the same day the French captured Strasbourg. In Europe the war was still intense, but the end was near. Soviet troops had begun to take more territory and the war seemed to be drawing to a close. When Butler enlisted, he was first put aboard H.M.C.S. Star on August 23, 1943. From there he went to the Cornwallis on January 10, 1944, then to the Stadacona on June 8th. On June 11th, Butler boarded his final ship, H.M.C.S. Shawinigan. He served on the Shawinigan until November 24, 1944, when Butler went down with the ship.

What role was Canada playing in the war at the time of your soldier's death? During the time of Arthur Butler's death, the allied forces were winning in the Battle of the Atlantic. Canadian and American freight ships were supplying Britain with food, ammunition, and weapons. Convoys with Corvette were used to escort these supplies across the Atlantic to the allied forces. Many German U-Boats had attacked ships along the Eastern coast of the United States and Canada, around Halifax and Newfoundland. Butler died when his ship was torpedoed by a German U-Boat, but thanks to the efforts of Arthur Herbert Butler and the millions of other sailors, the Battle of the Atlantic was eventually won.

End of Service: Butler's time of service ended when his ship, H.M.C.S. Shawinigan, was torpedoed by a German U-Boat while patrolling the Cabot Strait. In total, 91 men died alongside Butler as the flames of the Corvette lit up the night sky. The frigid November water made sure there were few survivors, as Arthur Herbert Butler went down with the ship and his body would never return to the surface again. Edith Mable Butler, mother and "next of kin", was informed of Arthur's death. His father had passed away while he was at war and now Edith had lost her son as well. Arthur's body was never found, but he will always be remembered on the Halifax Memorial, plate 11. This memorial honors all the sailors who died during the war, and many of Butler's crewmates are honored on the memorial. Edith received the medals her son had been awarded.

Estate File: Arthur was very young when he died. He did not have too many belongings, but those which he did have were given to his mother. The information given on Arthur's sister is vague, but it is believed she was still alive at the time of her brother's death.

Lest We Forget: At only 20 years of age, Arthur Herbert Butler experienced the cruelty of war. Just like me, Arthur was young, inexperienced, and unsure about what was ahead in life. He was a promising man, but fate had stolen away his life. Although his story has been lost for some time, we can all relate to Arthur. We have been growing up in the small town of Oakville, going to school and dreaming of the years to come. But war has a way of changing everyone's future goals. Soon enough the whole country was engulfed in an obsession for war and victory. But Butler wasn't looking for glory when he enlisted. Arthur Herbert Butler joined the navy as a very young man but eventually was shaped into a hero for all Canadians. His contributions to this country will never be forgotten, and the services he performed for the good of the Nation will always be remembered as brave and heroic.

Lest we forget the soldiers who laid down their lives for the men and women they never knew. Their sacrifices have allowed us to live freely and have given us incredible opportunity we could never have achieved without them. Let all the lost stories of our soldiers be told.  Let Arthur Herbert Butler's legacy live on . . . 

Ships served in:

HMCS STAR - enlisted 23 Aug 1943.  Commenced Active Service 09 Jan 1944 as an Ordinary Seaman, RCNVR

HMCS CORNWALLIS - Drafted to CORNWALLIS 02 Mar 1944

HMCS STADACONA - Drafted to STADACONA - 08 Jun 1944

HMCS SHAWINIGAN - Drafted to SHAWINIGAN 12 Jun 1944

Documents from the Service File of Arthur Butler

Second World War Casualty Index

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