Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Fred Butteriss a bricklayer, born 1862 in Hallaton, Leics., and his wife Lucy A., born 1863 in Hallaton, Leics. Ralph was born in 1885 in Slawston, Leics., his siblings were, Lawrence, born 1889 and Edith, born 1890, the latter two siblings were both born in Kibworth, Leics., in April 1891 the family home was at Fleckney Road, Stonton Wyville, Leics. In March 1901 Ralph was employed as a bricklayer, improver and was residing at Hallaton, Leics., this being the family home of his paternal uncle, George W. Butteriss a builder, born 1875 in Hallaton, Leics., and his wife Ellen, born 1878 in Hallaton, Leics. In April 1911 Ralph was employed as a bricklayer and was residing in the family home at High Street, Kibworth, Leics., together with his wife of three years, Fanny, born 1886 in Smeeton Westerby, Leics., and their children, Alexander Lawrence, born 1909 and Clarice Eileen, born 1910, both children were born in Kibworth, Leics. The War Diary for today records. At about 12.15am the first wounded men came down the tunnel to the dressing station, by 2.00am the majority of men were in except a few stretcher cases. See report on raid Appendix B. The Battn arrived back in NOYELLES at about 3.30am. During the morning we had visits from Brigadier and General Officer Commanding Division, who said he would address the Battn the next morning. The afternoon was spent in cleaning up and exchanging and patching up the torn clothing.
APPENDIX ‘B’:- Report on the raid carried out by the 1st/5th Battn LEICESTERSHIRE REGT on the 16th/17th August 1917. The raiding party left NOYELLES and marched up to the line on morning of the 14th August. On the march up through VERMELLES 11 men of B Coy were killed and 14 wounded by one shell. Ample accommodation was found for the whole party in LONE TRENCH and 10th AVENUE. Owing to the unsatisfactory state of the enemy front line wire Z day was postponed 24 hours. On 16th wire cutting was continued and with better success. ASSEMBLY: Coy’s marched to their assembly trenches and formed up 20 minutes before ZERO without sustaining any casualties. ADVANCE: No difficulty whatever was found in passing over our trenches and through gaps in our wire (all gaps and lines having been marked with tape after dark on the 16th). The enemy front line wire was found very much damaged (except on the extreme left and extreme right) and little difficulty was found in passing through it, but wire was found in parts of enemy front line trench. Wire in front of HILDA was well cut and presented no obstacle, but midway between HILDA and HULLOCH TRENCHES party was held up by a fairly strong belt of wire. Eventually this was negotiated and enemy third line was reached. All bombing blocks were established and party for destruction of GOOSE under 2nd Lt J. S. PLUMMER set out. ENEMY: Two were met in front line and killed, three parties one of four and two of six were met in HILDA TRENCH, some were killed some escaped running over ground to HULLOCH TRENCH. No enemy were met in HULLOCH TRENCH but many were firing from ruins behind this trench and a considerable amount of machine gun fire came from the same area. Several enemy ran down into dug outs in HILDA TRENCH. These dug outs were blown up by our destruction parties. WITHDRAWAL: The special flare lights (although similar ones had been tested 9 days previously) did not go off. Enemy counter attacked on our left, coming over the top they were met by Lewis gun fire from one of our bombing blocks and several of the enemy were seen to fall. Enemy also made a strong bombing attack down HICKS ALLEY but was held up by our bombers until withdrawal was completed. ENEMY TRENCHES: Front line system very badly damaged indeed. Can be passed over almost anywhere, there are several dug outs in this line near saps. HILDA TRENCH deep trench 8 foot in very good order, fire steps, no revetment or duck boards, several dug outs, the majority of which were blown in.HULLOCH TRENCH. Deep in places but not in good order, no duck boards or revetment. COMMUNICATION TRENCHES. Except HERRING ALLEY all in very fair condition and about 8 foot deep. HERRING ALLEY at lower end was full of new concertina wire for nearly 80 yards. DUG OUTS. Deep, either 15 or 30 steps, latter are very damp, all entered (7) had been cleared of everything. Enemy was undoubtedly prepared for our raid, wire in trenches, counter attack. The projection of THERMITE at ZERO minus 4 lit up most of the area raided, and seemed to put enemy on alert at once. Enemy barrage opened on our assembly line at ZERO and later seemed to fall on enemy front line.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Ralph Butteriss was born in 1886 in Slawston to Fred and Lucy (nee Simkin). In the 1891 census the family were living in Kibworth Beauchamp. However, ten years later Ralph is back living in Hallaton with his Uncle George and Aunt Ellen employed as a bricklayer improver. In April 1911 Ralph was employed as a bricklayer and was living in the family home at High Street, Kibworth together with his wife of three years, Fanny and their two children. His medal card states that he went to France with 1st/ 5th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment on 28th February 1915, so his must have been a very early enlistment soon after war was declared. Because his records were lost in the bombing of Somerset House in World War II, we do not know his movements in France but do have the War Diary details for the fateful day when he was killed – 17th April 1917. The battalion had been selected for a strong raiding party. It was to set out from Lone Trench near Vermelles, 10 miles north west of Lens, a flat landscape dominated by slag heaps from which the Germans could observe the British positions. Things got off to a poor start. On 14th August on the march up through Vermelles, 11 men of B Coy were killed and 14 wounded by one shell. After that the attack progressed well. They found the German wire cut and made significant progress right through to the German third line. But inevitably there was a strong counter attack and eventually the order to retire was given. In the fighting seven men were missing, five more men were known to be killed, and three others were afterwards reported prisoners, while no less than fifty-one were wounded. Ralph was one of those killed. He is buried in Le Philosophe Cemetery, Mazingarbe and is commemorated on the war memorial in St Wilfred’s Church yard in Kibworth.

Information supplied by Dennis Kenyon.