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Alfred Vivian Butler - Information

Alfred Vivian was born in Camden c1894 to Joseph and Harriet Butler. Alfred grew up in the area with his many siblings, until the family relocated to the north coast to Richmond Rivers. When the war began, Alfred was residing in Eltham, where he worked as a farmer. The war had a significant impact on the Butler family. Alfred’s older brother, Ernest, had joined the military in 1914, and sadly was killed at Gallipoli. Alfred’s cousin, Arthur Albert, also joined the AIF in 1914. Not to leave the fighting to others, he decided to enlist, joining up on the 7th of October 1916 in Lismore. He commenced his training at the 11th Depot Battalion. However, officers began to notice that Alfred had difficulty completing exercises. He was examined and was then medically discharged. His toes and the bones in his feet had been deformed from wearing ill-fitting boots. This caused his toes to be permanently displaced. Alfred returned to his family and eventually met and fell in love with Irene Alexander. Alfred and Irene married in Lismore in 1921 and began their lives together.