Raymond Sheppard and Patrick by Diana M. Buttenshaw

Patrick by Diana M. Buttenshaw

Patrick - dustjacket

SYNOPSIS:
The story of a very young boy shipwrecked on an island who is rescued by his family's St Bernard dog and brought up by the dog and the wild animals of the island. He learns individual lessons from each animal whose language he also masters. He can run alongside the horse; hunt with the fox (only rabbits can be eaten); swim with the dolphin; play with the seal and leap like the goats.
After many years his island sees another shipwreck which eventually leads to his return to 'civilization' where he attends school, showing he is a top athlete and cricketer but also that he finds 'civilization's' ways strange and Patrick returns to the island, finding, in the interim some of his friends have died.

This delightful book was published in 1939 by Hodder and Stoughton and reviews were positive for what appears to be Buttenshaw's first book. The Guardian (October 27, 1939) states "The illustrations by Raymond Sheppard are in black and white, and give solidity and strength to the book".

Diana Marguerite Buttenshaw (c1919-2013) married Major William Byrde (Royal Engineers) and the Times of 9 March 2013 tells us she passed away "peacefully at home in her sleep on 2nd March 2013". The memorial service took place at Membury Parish Church (near Axminster, in Devon).

Searching around it appears that the Major might have been posted all over Europe as Diana's books all seem to take place in locations outside Britain, but I can't be sure of either fact, not having read them all! It looks as if their first daughter was born on October 20, 1948 in B.M.H. Hamburg, a military hospital and another, Clare Hilary Katharine, in 1954 (May 13) at Military Families Hospital, Chatham

Below are all the black and white illustrations that Sheppard had published in Patrick showing an early aptitude for framing his illustrations either through 'openness', half-open panels or frames. 

Young Patrick gets a lesson from Va the Eagle, p.9

Va, Alaric and Patrick see a shipwreck p.25

Patrick meets the strangers p.35

Patrick is brought some skins p.39

Patrick is happy p.49

Patrick rides Hross p.58

Seolh the seal says goodbye to Patrick p.70

Patrick caught "stealing" a marrow, p. 96

Patrick hunts for food p.107

The Head asks Patrick's friend to watch over him p. 120

Patrick begins to understand how to watch the cricket ball p. 137

Patrick beats the school champion p. 157

Patrick finds a new friend p. 166

Patrick wins the race p.171

Patrick asks the monkeys about their conditions p. 191

Rescuing a hunted fox p. 207

Patrick saves his school friend p. 213

A joyous greeting committee p. 241

Va and Patrick see a search party p.252

Patrick is happy to be left in peace p.266

DIANA M. BUTTENSHAW BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Patrick ... Illustrated by Raymond Sheppard. London: Macmillan & Co, 1939.
• The Sleeping Princess. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1941. "Real interest lies in the detail of life in Gibraltar"
• Say not Good-Night. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1943. "paints a careful picture of the Andalusian coast and peoples it with some wholly improbable Spaniards of the school of W.J.Locke"
• Dominic. Days in the life of a boy who lived in a forest. London: Frederick Muller, 1943.
• The Villach Road.London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1947. A love story of Michael, an Englishman and Greta an Austrian farm girl
• Pepito of Guadiaro ... Illustrated by Margaret Horder. London: Frederick Muller, 1948. "the eponymous boy, abandoned by his parents in the mountains in Andalucia; he's then rescued and raised by a donkey, a rabbit, a hare and a cat."
  Journey to Venice. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1949.
• An Oak for Posterity. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1952. "Life with the occupation troops in Germany and the Tyrol form the background of this entertaining romance. There's excitement, too, in a wild chase after a kidnapped child through the bombed ruins of Hamburg, and an avalanche in the
  Tyrol." 
• Incident in Ismalia. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1953. "the author compensates for the slightness of the plot with an informed insight into the lives of the wives and families of men stationed in the
  Suez Canal zone"
• The One Black Swan. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1955.
• Chain of Command. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1956
• Violence in Paradise. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1957. "thinly veiled fictional island of 'Sophos', where an unholy alliance of Communists and clerics had formed the 'Szit' movement, fighting for 'Halitos' with the Motherland."