Born in Toronto on July 1, 1913, Mervyn Andrew Haldane Butler (“Tubby” Butler) was educated at St Columba’s College, Rathfarnham and at The Royal Military College, Sandhurst throughout his youth. Commissioned into the Prince of Wales Volunteers of the South Lancashire Regiment in February 1933, he saw involvement as an adjutant of 1^st battalion during European operations in 1940, including the Dunkirk Evacuation, for which he was awarded the MC. He would marry Marjorie Millicent Dann the following year and have two step-children.

After attending the Staff College and holding roles such as GSO in 1 Corps HQ and 2 Corps HQ in the early 1940s, Sir Butler involved himself with the Rhine Crossing in 1945, and was awarded the DSO for his services.

By 1946, Sir Butler was commanding the 9^th Battalion The Parachute Regiment in Palestine, and the late 40s saw him holding more GSO posts in the Middle East and America, and the 1950s saw his involvement with the Airborne Forces both as GSO of 1 HQ AB (TA) Div until December 1952, and later deciding to “resume his red beret”[1] in January 1956 as Commander of the entire 16^th Independent Parachute Brigade Group. This meant involvement in Suez, for which Sir Butler was awarded a Bar to his DSO, a CBE, and a Croix-de-Guerre with Palm.

Promoted first to Brigadier then Major-General in 1961, Sir Butler subsequently held a mixture of different administrative appointments throughout the 1960s and 1970s, being appointed Colonel Commandant of the Parachute Regiment on 31 January, 1967. He was made CB in 1964 and then KCB in 1968. In 1972, he was appointed General and Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies, but was compelled to retire the next year due to health reasons.

His obituary in The Times in 1976 described him as “always friendly and approachable”, and recalled his persistent interest and support for rugby, especially within the Army.

General Sir Mervyn Andrew Haldane Butler passed away on 3 January, 1976, at the age of 62. His Funeral Service was held at the Royal Garrison Church of All Saints, Aldershot, and a Memorial Service was subsequently held at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London in February. General Butler is now buried at the Aldershot Military Cathedral.

Written and researched by Raphael Tsang, with information from Airborne Assault Archive Box 2.C.3 27/1/42, and Cordon and Search by Major R.D. Wilson.

[1] Pegasus Journal, Jan 1956