A good Second War 1945 ‘Kyaukse operations’ M.C. group of six awarded to Major D. G. Butterworth, 9th Battalion, 12th Frontier Force Regiment, who was about to lead his Company in an attack on a heavily defended position, when he received a signal informing him that he would have to assume command of the Battalion due to the O.C. and all other officers at Battalion H.Q. being wounded by a Japanese sniper’s grenade. He remained with his company long enough to see them on their way, and then hastened to Battalion H.Q. from where he restored order and proceeded to successfully orchestrate the Battalion’s attack. Butterworth was ‘able to secure all his objectives and force some two hundred Japanese to break and flee’

Military Cross, G.VI.R. reverse officially dated ‘1945’; India General Service 1936-39, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1937-39 (Lt. D. G. Butterworth, 1-12 F.F.R.); 1939-45 Star; Burma Star; War Medal 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf; India Service Medal, mounted for display, generally very fine or better (6) £1,600-£2,000

M.C. London Gazette 20 September 1945.
The original recommendation states: ‘For highly distinguished services and gallantry in action - at Sigon in Burma on 26 March 1945 during operations to clear a strong force of enemy who were threatening the main road to Kyaukse and jeopardising the operations of the leading Battalions against Kyaukse.

Major Butterworth was commanding his company which was to assault the first located enemy position. Just before H hour he received a signal that he would have to assume command of the Battalion, 9th Battalion, 12th Frontier Force Regiment, as the Commanding Officer and all other officers at Battalion Headquarters had been wounded and evacuated.

He remained with his company long enough to see them leave their start line and on arriving at Battalion Headquarters he found great confusion. Heavy grenade discharger and small arms fire was coming into Battalion Headquarters. As he arrived he heard his company had been pinned to the ground by accurate MMG fire just in front of theur start line, and were taking heavy casualties, amongst whom was the officer who had taken over command from him.

He then showed leadership of the highest standard and quickly ordering another company to move round the flank of the enemy holding up the leading company and arranging for his heavy artillery in support of him to destroy by bombard the enemy bunkers which had brought the attack to a standstill, he was able to secure all his objectives and force some two hundred Japanese to break and flee.

The leadership displayed by this officer under extremely difficult conditions, together with his gallantry under fire were a fine inspiration both to Battalion Headquarters who in confusion when he arrived and his company who were having a hard fight. Such was his inspiration to his Battalion, that notwithstanding the loss of their Commanding Officer, Adjutant, and Intelligence officer, they were inspired to fight to a successful finish their battle and completely put to rout the enemy who had control of the main road to Kyaukse.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 5 April 1945.

Derrick Geoffrey Butterworth was born in Belgaum, India in November 1913. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the 12th Frontier Force Regiment in February 1934, and advanced to Captain in October 1940. Butterworth served with the 9th Battalion during the Second War, and Officer Commanding, Administrative Company when the Battalion entered the Burma theatre in October 1943. Initially stationed in the Kabaw Valley, the Battalion command was restructured and in June the following year, Butterworth was Second-in-Command and in Command of the H.Q. Company.

Early in the new year, Butterworth was in command of ‘A’ Company and by now heavily involved in the reconquest of Burma. The Regimental History gives the following:
‘The Battalion was now ordered to capture Yezin and Inza, clearing all Japs from the area between Kanlan Ywathit and Kanlan. This operation was ordered for 28th February and proved to be the Battalion’s outstanding achievement in the campaign for the reconquest of Burma. A tank squadron of the 7th Cavalry and the divisional artillery supported the attack. ‘C’ Company with the tanks led the advance, with ‘B’ Company following, and immediately found difficulty in locating the Japs who were well dug in and concealed in elephant grass and tobacco fields. Hand-to-hand fighting ensued, slowing down the advance.

Major Butterworth wrote of this stage of the action as follows: “A Jemadar of ‘D’ Company had a hand-to-hand fight with a Jap officer and killed him in full view from Battalion Headquarters at Kanlan. A lot of slaughter was done to the east of Yezin in the nullah, by the tanks and ‘C’ Company, who stuck to the tanks like leeches. The Japs had anti-tank mines with them which they were clutching to themselves, attempting to blow the tanks up and themselves at the same time. A 105mm gun crew fought to the end until they were wiped out by the tanks. They were firing point blank over the sights.”

As ‘C’ Company advanced with the tanks, enemy artillery and MMG fire caused casualties, and ‘B’ Company also became involved in the mêlée in the area south of Kanlan, where the main force of Japs was found to be dug in with strong bunkers, difficult for the tanks to deal with. However, the advance was not held up.’

Butterworth distinguished himself during the operations around Kyaukse (see recommendation above), and the Regimental History gives the following:
‘As a preliminary to the main attack on Kyaukse, the Battalion cleared the outlying villages of Thimbok and Kegwigye, and in this action Lieutenant Waters was killed. He was a keen young officer who had only recently joined the Battalion.

The Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Hayaud Din, also was wounded at Kyaukse. He gives the following account of the action:
“Actually the attack had gone off very well. The village had largely been cleared, and the Japs were running away fast. The forward companies were going well with Battalion Headquarters behind them. I stopped with the Adjutant, Captain Miller, and the Intelligence Officer, Lieutenant Bangash, to look at a map, when a Jap sniper hiding in a bush and not far from us popped up and threw a grenade at us. This landed in the middle of our group, wounding all three of us. However, I was able to continue commanding the Battalion, but sent off Miller and Bangash to the aid post for treatment. Later when the medical Officer learnt that I had also been wounded he came forward. As I was still bleeding he insisted on taking me back, and I sent for Butterworth to take over command.”

Major Butterworth also writes: “We had a bit of trouble next day, but the Japs were clearing out every night. The Battalion was the first to enter Kyaukse. Some of us got up to Maymo from there, where we got news of the excellent work done there in the Jap hospital by our first Medical Officer Lieutenant Batt. He had earlier been captured on the first day the Japs came over the Chindwin advancing on Imphal.”’

The Battalion was given a further complete rest at Kyaukse, and in view of the heavy casualties it had suffered, particularly among officers, its role was now changed to Divisional Headquarters Battalion. Butterworth was posted to the Staff College at Quetta in June 1945, and appointed Brigade Major, Frontier Brigade Group the following year. Major Butterworth retired in 1947, and in later life resided at The Green Farm, Wangford, Beccles, Suffolk. He died in September 1977.

Sold with M.I.D. Certificate, dated 5 April 1945; named Buckingham Palace enclosure for M.C.; and a letter addressed to recipient from the Commonwealth Relations Office, dated 18 May 1954.