A fine and rare Badge for Sir Alfred Butts Invitation to Victoria Cross holder’s named to Battery Sergeant Major J. C. Raynes, V.C., Royal Field Artillery, who, although wounded in the head and leg, insisted on remaining under heavy shell fire to assist in the rescue of wounded comrades.
Badge for Sir Alfred Butt’s Invitation to Victoria Cross holder’s, silver-gilt, hallmarked for Birmingham with date letter ’t’ for 1918, this one for the personal use of and engraved: ‘36830 By SGT MAJ. J. C. RAYNES. V.C., Royal Field Artillery’. It is believed that the badge was intended to be worn as a watch fob in order for the recipient to gain access to the theatre at his pleasure.
Sir Alfred Butt was the Director of Rationing in the Ministry of Food from 1917 to 1918, being Knighted in 1918. He went on to become Member of Parliament for Balham and Tooting between 1922 and 1936, and was created a Baronet in 1929. However is was as Chairman of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and other theatrical companies, which led Sir Alfred to issue a badge to all living recipient’s of the Victoria Cross to attend the theatre free of charge.
Born: 28 Apr 1887 Longley, Sheffield, Yorks. Family: s of Stephen Henry Raynes, publican and Hannah Elizabeth (née Crawshaw). Educated: Heeley Nat Sch, Sheffield. Married: 24 Apr 1907 Leeds Register Office, Yorks to Mabel (née Dawson); two s, incl LAC Tom Raynes RAFVR. Career: worked for T W Wood, local coal merchant; 10 Oct 1904 joined RGA; 1905 to RHA/ RFA; 1910 to Res; 1912 left Army; joined Leeds City Police; 5 Aug 1914 mob; svd as Army Instr, Preston, Lancs and declined comm; vol five times for active svce before being sent to the Front as Cpl with a Kitchener Army draft; 11-12 Oct 1915 VC Actions at Fosse 7 nr Loos, France (gassed and wounded); promoted BSM; home leave but never fully recovered; 2 Nov 1916 Freemason, initiated St James’s Operative Lodge No 97, Edinburgh, Scotland; 11 Dec 1918 disch as ‘physically unfit’; £500 raised locally was used to buy him a house; rejoined Leeds City police as Sgt but, as his health deteriorated, had finally to take desk job; Mar 1926 retd due to spinal problems which paralysed his legs and was soon bedridden; 9 Nov 1929 Sheffield Telegraph launched appeal fund to raise £600 to buy him a convenient bungalow in healthy surroundings but he d four days later. Final rank: BSM. Died: 13 Nov 1929, 10 Grange Crescent, Chapeltown, Leeds, Yorks. Buried: 16 Nov 1929 Harehills Cem, Leeds, Sect H, Grave 11 with full mil honours. Commemoration: headstone; name on RA Memorial, Woolwich, London; portrait at RA Museum. Other awards: 1914-15 Star; British War Medal 1914-20; Victory Medal 1914-19. VC Investiture: 4 Dec 1915 by King George V, Buckingham Palace. VC location: RA Museum, Woolwich.
“On 11th October, 1915, at Fosse 7 de Bethune, his battery was being heavily bombarded by armour-piercing and gas shells. On “Cease fire” being ordered Serjeant Raynes went out under an intense shell fire to assist Serjeant Ayres, who was lying wounded forty yards away. He bandaged him, and returned to his gun when it was again ordered into action. A few minutes later “Cease fire” was again ordered owing to the intensity of the enemy’s fire, and Serjeant Raynes, calling on two gunners to help him - both of whom were killed shortly afterwards - went out and carried Serjeant Ayres into a dug-out. A gas shell burst at the mouth of the dug-out, and Serjeant Raynes once more ran across the open, fetched his own smoke helmet, put it on Serjeant Ayres and then, himself badly gassed, staggered back to serve his gun. On 12th October, 1915, at Quality Street, a house was knocked down by a heavy shell, four men being buried in the house and four in the cellar. The first man rescued was Serjeant Raynes, wounded in the head and leg, but he insisted on remaining under heavy shell fire to assist in the rescue of all the other men. Then, after having his wounds dressed, he reported himself immediately for duty with his battery, which was again being heavily shelled.”
