Orders, Decorations and Medals

The Great War Egypt theatre of war A.F.C. group of eight awarded to Inspector W. J. Butler, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, late Royal Engineers, Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force and British Columbia Provincial Police

Air Force Cross, G.V.R.; British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. W. J. Butler, R.A.F.); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919 (Flt. Lieut. W. J. Butler, R.A.F.); Canadian Voluntary Service Medal 1939-45, with overseas clasp; War Medal 1939-45, silver; Royal Canadian Mounted Police L.S. & G.C. (W. J. Butler, A.F.C.); British Columbia Provincial Police L.S. & G.C. (Regtl. No. 417 Det. Sergt. W. J. Butler), together with R.C.M.P. and British Columbia Police cap badges, generally good very fine and a quite unique combination of awards (10) £2500-3000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Ron Penhall Collection.

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‘They covered 20 miles, then hot soot and oil spewed back in their faces. The pilot [Butler] asked L.A.C. Haynes what he should do, George saying, or rather yelling above the roar of the engine, that they should return to Risalpur. On landing it was discovered that someone had turned on the spare oil tank which had resulted in the engine becoming flooded with oil. Had they carried on, the engine would have either stopped or caught fire. The engine was fixed but not properly, so that when they took-off again, they just cleared the edge of the airfield, having gained 300 feet, when the engine stopped. The B.E. dropped and the under-carriage was smashed but both men were unhurt. Taking to the air for a third time in another B.E., they finally made progress, but when about 16 miles up the Khyber the pilot found, now that the heat of the day was at its height, that he could not coax the machine over the mountains. He tried four or five times but each time the B.E. would fall away in the thinner air. Finally Butler gave up and flew to the landing ground at Peshawar. “You’re too bloody heavy, that’s your trouble,” was Butler’s terse comment on landing. Then one of the B.E’s tyres exploded! He later flew the B.E. up to Dakka leaving George to carry on by road.’

On resigning his commission in the Royal Air Force in May 1920, Butler appears to have set up a fruit growing business, possibly in Canada. More certain is the fact he did enlist in the British Columbia Provincial Police (B.C.P.P.) as a probationer in April 1930 and had risen to the rank of Corporal by the time he purchased his discharge in September 1940, on being appointed to a commission in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Butler served in the latter capacity, as an administrative and legal officer, until being discharged at Vancouver in the rank of Acting Squadron Leader in February 1945, having served in the U.K. between August 1943 and January 1944.

Rejoining the British Columbia Provincial Police he was advanced to Detective Sergeant in November 1947 and to Sub. Inspector in April 1950, in which latter rank he entered the Royal Canadian Mounted Police at Prince George when the B.C.P.P. were absorbed. He finally retired as an Inspector in December 1956, having been stationed at Vernon, Victoria, Ottawa and Ontario, among other locations. Butler died in June 1970.