Lieutenant Anthony Danvers Cavendish Butler (103008) served in North Irish Horse, Royal Armoured Corps, and No. 3 Commando during the Second World War. He was the son of Major Henry Cavendish Butler and Blanche Cavendish Butler of Innis Rath, Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh.
As a young boy in 1928, Anthony and his sister Maureen received an Award of Honour from the USPCA (Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). Newspaper reports state they took part in the heroic rescue of a dog from Lough Erne, Co. Fermanagh.
During the Second World War, Butler served in North Irish Horse, Royal Armoured Corps before joining No. 3 Commando. He died on 14th July 1943 aged 27 years old during No. 3 Commando operations in Sicily as part of Operation Husky. Butler was a member of No. 5 Troop, engaged at the Malati Bridge. The bridge would later be known as “3 Commando Bridge”.
No. 3 Commando in Sicily
No. 3 Commando had reembarked on the Carrier Prins Albert at Syracuse on 12th July 1943 to carry out a second attack as part of the Sicily Invasion. From there, they would go on to hold the bridge near Lentini until the arrival of 50th Division. This was 10 miles behind enemy lines and 5 miles inland from the sea. They landed at Agnone, 20 miles north-west of Syracuse and took the bridge from Italian Forces. They removed demolitions but left themselves exposed to a German counterattack. No. 3 Commando suffered heavy casualties but held the bridge. After the fall of Catania, General Bernard Montgomery ordered a stone carved with “No. 3 Commando Bridge” be cemented in place on the bridge.
Anthony Danvers Cavendish Butler’s grave is in Section I, Row B, Grave 16 of Catania War Cemetery, Sicily, Italy. His name is on the Kinawley Church of Ireland War Memorial, Derrylin, Co. Fermanagh, and also on a family headstone in the grounds of the same church. His headstone in Italy bears the inscription:
“One could not but be happy in his presence”. From a friend’s letter.