Peter Butterworth
| Peter Butterworth | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
Peter William Shorrocks Butterworth 4 February 1919 Bramhall, Cheshire, England, UK |
| Died | 16 January 1979 (aged 59) Coventry, England, UK |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Years active | 1948–1979 |
| Spouse(s) | Janet Brown (1946–1979; his death) |
| Children |
Tyler Butterworth (b. 1959) Emma Butterworth (1962–1996) |
Peter William Shorrocks Butterworth (4 February 1919 – 16 January 1979) was an English comedy actor and comedian, best known for his appearances in the Carry On series of films. He was also a regular on children's television and radio. He was married to the actress and impressionist Janet Brown. He was also known for playing The Meddling Monk in Doctor Who.
Before his acting career started, Butterworth served as a lieutenant in the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War. While flying in an attack on the Dutch coast off Den Helder in 1940 his Fairey Albacore was shot down by Messerschmitt Bf 109s killing one crew member and wounding the other. After a forced landing on the island of Texel he was captured becoming a prisoner of war (POW). Sent to the Dulag Luft POW transit camp, at Oberursel near Frankfurt, he later escaped in June 1941 through a tunnel, covering 27 miles (43 km) over three days before a member of the Hitler Youth captured him. Afterwards he joked that he could never work with children again. Two other attempts to escape were made during his time there but he never got beyond the camp grounds. He was subsequently sent to Stalag Luft III, near Sagan, the scene later of The Great Escape.
Whilst at Stalag Luft III he met Talbot Rothwell, who later went on to write many of the Carry On films in which Butterworth was to star. Rothwell and Butterworth formed a duet and sang in the camp shows, where booing and catcalls covered the sounds of an escape tunnel being dug by other prisoners. Butterworth was one of the vaulters covering for the escapers during the escape portrayed by the book and film The Wooden Horse. Butterworth later auditioned for the film in 1949 but "didn't look convincingly heroic or athletic enough" according to the makers of the film.
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