“Permit me to quote the following from one of his letters. [in connection with Lieutenant Buchler mistakenly being attributed with an MC.] It was at Passchendaele. He was leading a body of men against an enemy position and so far succeeded that the Germans surrendered or signified to that effect. He, with 25 men went forward to take the prisoners. When within close range the Germans fired on them and he said “in less than 5 seconds there were only three of us left”. My son would have been killed also only for a book in his breast pocket which turned the bullet. I have the pocket book now with the bullet hole in it. When he got back he was told that his Colonel was on the field wounded and he went alone to look for him. He found him dead. While looking for the Colonel he surprised some Germans hiding in a shell hole and took them prisoners. He says, “When I had disarmed them I found I was practically unarmed myself, having only my revolver half loaded in its holster.” When bringing them in he resolved to make stretcher bearers of them and carry in some wounded but on the way the enemy turned their machine guns on them with the result that he only got in with one whole prisoner and one wounded, he himself miraculously escaping for the third time in that day.

I think this instance alone deserves mention. It has been corroborated by two of his men who have returned.”
[Extract from a letter that his mother wrote to Lieutenant Colonel C E Andrews, NZ Military Forces, Wellington dated 9 July 1920 - letter is on his digitised Territorial Force record - NZ Archives R22204080]

Lieutenant Buchler was also investigated regarding allegations that he was German and possibly a German spy. Following a search of records and the interviewing of various witnesses the following, undated, reference was produced:-

“Lieutenant Frederick Lancelot Buchler was born in New Zealand. His father was born in England and also his grandfather, who was a British Officer, so that his father’s ancestors were in England in the latter part of the 18th Century, at which time they were known as Von Buchler. His mother is of purely English descent. Lieutenant Buchler was appointed an Officer on probation on the 14th March, 1914, and attached to the Stratford High School Cadets. Prior to being commissioned, he had served in the School Cadets and the 11th Regiment (Taranaki Rifles). This officer bears an excellent character, and is well spoken of by those who were closely associated with him. He left New Zealand with the 9th Reinforcements.”  [Territorial Force record - NZ Archives R22204080]