From D-day ‘sapper’ to CO of the Chichester Army Cadets
D-Day veteran Captain L.G. Butt has taken the 75th anniversary of the landings as an opportunity to reflect back over his life in the army and as commanding officer (Co)of the Chichester Army Cadets. Len Butt wanted to be a soldier from the days when he was “knee-high to a button”, and he signed up as soon as he could. He joined the army cadet force in 1942 and signed up for the regular army a year later.
He took part in the Normandy invasion as an 18 year old, going over on D-day with the Royal Engineers, and was twice blown up during the campaign. He was a ‘sapper’, and his job was to clear mines from the dunes on top of the sea wall at Bernières-surmer. A delayed reaction set in soon after Arnhem, and his regular army days were over.
After he was invalided out of the army, he rejoined the army cadet force, becoming commanding officer of the Chichester force in 1961. He stayed with them throughout the 1960s and 70s, relishing the challenge of installing army-like virtues in the young men of the day. The basic military training included map-reading and weapons drill, as well as fieldcraft - teaching boys how to move across country in sections and how to make use of camouflage.
Captain Butt said: “My cadet band performed at The Royal Tournament and represented the UK Army Cadet Force at the Menin Gate in Belgium in 1977, as well as leading the Queen Silver Jubilee Youth Parade in London.
“They supported - and three times lead - the Annual Gala events, and represented the UK Army Cadets at Youth Parade Albert Hall. They also supported numerous Royal British Legion branches in fundraising.”
During his time at the helm, Captain Butt helped the cadets raise between £70,000 and £80,000 for the Royal British Legion.
He said: “The Royal British Legion sent out a ‘National Appeal’ letter for the 60th anniversary of D-day in which I was much honoured in that excerpts from my own D-day story were included. This national appeal raised more than £2m.”
The cadets, under Captain Butt, were closely connected with the Chichester Old Contemptibles, those army members who had survived the First World War. All the members are known as ‘Chums’ - there are no ranks in the Old Contemptibles - and they were all part of the General French’s army between August and November 1914.
In 1971, the Old Contemptibles presented No 7 (Chichester) Cadet Platoon A.C.F. The Queen’s Regiment with a silver cup in recognition of their interest and to perpetuate the memory of the Contemptibles. About 50 of the cadets and the junior section were accompanied to the Chichester Drill Hall by Captain Butt, who thanked the veterans for the cup. The Old Contemptibles’ chairman, Charles Wilson, said that the ‘Chums’ had decided to present the trophy in recognition of the interest Captain Butt and the cadets had taken in the welfare of the old soldiers in the past few years.
The Chichester Army Cadet Force’s corps of drums, headed by Captain
Butt, performed at the Chichester old Contemptibles annual church service on one memorable occasion.
The Chichester Old Contemptibles made their final march under their standard to St Peter’s Church in December, 1972. Due to diminished numbers, the city’s branch was forced to close, and only a few Old Contemptibles were well enough to attend the layingup ceremony. However, an impressive list of Service organisations and local dignitaries attended the church, which showed the high esteem in which these veterans of WWI are held. Old Contemptibles and the Mayor took the salute and buglers sounded the ‘Last Post’.