Bob Paterson bought the Butte de Warlencourt from The Western Front Association (W.F.A.) in October 2018. The W.F.A, who had purchased the site in 1990, were finding it very difficult, for various reasons, to look after it from a distance, resulting in its sale.

Born in Dundee in Scotland, Bob has had a very successful business career holding several prominent positions over a thirty year period in prestigious companies as Kappa, Wm. Low Supermarkets, Thorntons W.S. Solicitors and NCR. In 2008, Bob established the very successful W.F.A Tayside branch with him thereafter joining the WFA's National Executive Committee as European Officer latterly serving as chairman. Bob led the W.F.A project to restore the Butte, a project which regrettably stalled and in places regressed after he left the WFA's National Executive Committee. Bob and his wife own a house in the nearby village Morval on the Somme battlefields, spending a significant amount of time there. This house, bought in 2007, is situated only 7 miles from the Butte de Warlencourt

Bob achieved an M.A. in British First World Studies at the University of Birmingham in 2012, this award coming some 33 years after being awarded an B.A.(Hons) in 1979. Apart from the Butte and W.W.1., Bob is an avid follower of National Hunt racing and is a member of Hexham racecourse. His first WW1 book titled 'The Somme 1916 THE BUTTE de WARLENCOURT' was published by Pen and Sword in the spring of 2022. He's been married to Julia for over 42 years and has two grown up children both of whom live in Scotland.