After training at Boldon, it did not take long before the Regiment was posted to the War Front in France to take part in the winter activities against the German Army. After a while he came home to a local hospital suffering from bitten feet, or “Trench Feet” as it was known by.
After fighting on the Somme and Marne fronts, where he received wounds to the leg and arm and eventually arrived home again on sick leave for a while. Returning to France, the Tyneside Irish Regiment had been so decimated through losses in the severe fighting that those that remained were absorbed in the 25th/85th Northumberland Fusiliers and he remained in that Regiment until he was gassed and taken prisoner in March 1918
The family that were left at home were so young that only three were of school age and none of them really understood what the war was all about, and it was only when their father came home on leave, usually with some ailment after suffering from wounds or frost bitten feet, that it was realised that he was always in some danger of being wounded or killed.
It was in March 1918 that he took part in the Great Push towards Germany. The Germans were using mustard gas at this time and Richard Butler was one of the many who were affected by this means of warfare and was also taken prisoner with a great number of others. He was taken to a prisoner of war camp at Westphalia and remained there until the end of hostilities in November 1918.
When he was at home after demobilisation, he told the family of some of the privations they suffered during their stay in the camp and with very little food coming their way, were reduced to catching any stray rodents they could and cooking them to keep from starving.
Not having received any treatment for the effects of breathing the gas on the battlefield, he was immediately taken to hospital on arriving back to England.
This was at the end of 1918. And arriving home after demobilisation, he was in other hospitals nearer home. When he was able to, he had to attempt to obtain employment and for a time he worked at the “Maude” Colliery at Backworth in Northumberland.
This permanent night shift job was hardly the best for a semi invalid as it entailed travelling over the river to North Shields and then travelling about 6 miles to the Colliery. On his return, after reaching North Shields, he had to engage a friendly “all night” boatman to return to the South side of the river and arrive home about 5 a.m. after a 12 hours absence. Eventually though, due to his gas complaint, it was back to hospital for treatment.
During the employment recession in the early 1920s he was caught up in the “means tests” and at one period, after a long spell of unemployment, he was given a few weeks work helping to build the promenade at South Shields beach. This only