PATRICK MAURICE BUTLER
Son of John Josef & Evelyn Mary BUTLER nee CROFSKEY

Patrick was a Wireless Operator - Air Gunner Sgt. stationed at Fingall, Toronto, Canada. The Americans and Canadians were very friendly and treated our forces well according to Patrick from his loving letters home to his parents. Unfortunately he was killed in an aircraft accident aged 23 years.

An Air Force funeral paid tribute to Sgt Patrick Maurice Butler of the RNZAI, and FO Emil Styrski of the Polish Air Force, both of whom were killed Friday 5 November 1943 in a crash in the Peterborough area. High Requiem Mass was celebrated at St Mary's Polish Catholic Church. Officers as well as many members of the RNZAF and the Polish Air Force attended. One carriage bore the two caskets draped in the Union Jack and a Polish flag and internment was in Mt Hope cemetery.

He visited his Granny Idda Butler nee Fischer in an old folks home before departing overseas - she was blind, (he was in his air force uniform) and she handed him half a crown and said "here dear you can spend it for lollies."    Google Map

In Memory of
Sergeant PATRICK MAURICE BUTLER
425384, Royal New Zealand Air Force
who died age 23
on 05 November 1943
Son of John Joseph and Evelyn Mary Butler, of
Whakatane, Auckland, New Zealand.
Remembered with honour
TORONTO (MOUNT HOPE) CEMETERY