George Butterworth ( born London , 12 July 1885 ; died PoziÃ res , France , 5 August 1916 ) was an English composer . George Sainton Kaye Butterworth , MC ( 12 July 1885 -- 5 August 1916 ) was an English composer best known for his tone poem The Banks of Green Willow and his settings of A. E. Housman 's poems .