Cell block key, Changi Prison: Sergeant Frederick George Butt, 2/30 Battalion

Large, chrome-plated steel warded key, impressed 'A' on one side of the oval bow, and 'CHUBB LONDON' on the other. Attached to a large (78mm diameter) circular split-ring holder.

Changi Goal cellblock key relating to the Second World War experience of NX26185 Sergeant Frederick George Butt, 2/30 Battalion, born Tunbridge Wells, England, but a resident of Gosford when he enlisted on 17 June 1940. Assigned to 15 Platoon, C Company, Sergeant Butt fought in the defence of Malaya. He was wounded in action against the Japanese 5 Division at Simpang Rengam on 28 January 1942 where he was shot in the left eye and received a large chunk of shrapnel from a Japanese artillery piece in his left lung.

NX54467 Corporal Eric Stone noted in his diary of the action of 28 January: 'Went back to positions of day before. Afternoon attacked at rear. Ted Jennings hit here also Fred Butt. Heaviest machine gun fire I have ever heard.'

After passing through casualty clearing stations, Sergeant Butt was treated at St Patrick's Hospital by Dr Charles Huxtable, who wrote in his book 'From the Somme to Singapore' of his memory of 'Sergeant Butt, with a bad chest wound, sitting bolt upright in bed, blue-tinged in spite of oxygen, breathless and unfailingly polite and courteous to sisters, orderly or doctor in every little request or acknowledgement'. Later he writes 'Sergeant Butt still fights on - Colonel Charles Osborn operated today to remove a piece of shell fragment, three inches long, from behind the left side of his chest.'

2/30 Association Archives contain the following from Fred dated 21/4/1998:
"Capt. Huxtable - a wonderful, wonderful, kindly understanding gentleman of the old school type of professional medicos. I still have a clear mental picture of the man, of medium height, sparse build, straight, with a cleanly trimmed greyish moustache - wearing his Officers cap British style, soft top, front to back and peaked.
"I'm very pleased to read that I was good boy in hospital when he first became aware of me. I remained conscious and fully aware of everything from the time of the hit, when I told Jock McDougall 'they had missed me by 2 inches', being carried out by our blokes to Capt. Taylor then into the ambulance - not certain of this bit but I think Bill Clayton passed me a couple of grenades and a pistol in case of trouble with the nips on the way to hospital. I don't know whether the intention was to blast myself to pieces or the nips.
"Singapore hospitals full - Docs overloaded, so dropped at St. Patricks. Sister with scissors cuts my shirt off - I abuse her and am still embarrassed. I recall intermittent periods of consciousness. I was told that I was left out on the verandah for four days while they were busy saving the blokes that had a chance. The Good Lord - some prayers, Colonel Osborne (Surgeon) and Colonel Cotter Harvey (Thoracic Physician) and one other fixed me.
"Four stone plumbing tubes everywhere, one lung and bloody sick, hurting and starving at Selerang Barracks plain rice no salt nothing else - I couldn't eat and I doubt very much whether I could have survived except for an Angel - Capt. Huxtable - (I did not know the man at the time) who would bring me a mug (or part of) of hot arrowroot made of condensed milk - that turned me around I think and Capt. Huxtable started me on the road back; used to come during early hours midnight."

Sergeant Butt survived his injuries and imprisonment, and recovered this key to one of the cell blocks at Changi Goal on his departure from Singapore. He died on 23 December 2000.