BURTON, Harry
| Service Number: | 909 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 August 1914, Enlisted at Melbourne |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 6th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Sherwood, Nottingham, England, 14 April 1897 |
| Home Town: | Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Board School, Sherwood, Nottingham, England |
| Occupation: | Butcher |
| Died: | Shell wound to the knee, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt, 20 August 1915, aged 18 years |
| Cemetery: |
Cairo War Memorial Cemetery Row D, Grave 46 S.A. Beveridge officiated Harry was buried on 21 August 1915. . , Cairo War Memorial Cemetery, Cairo, Egypt |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 17 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 909, 6th Infantry Battalion, Enlisted at Melbourne | |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Oct 1914: | Involvement Private, 909, 6th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Hororata embarkation_ship_number: A20 public_note: '' | |
| 19 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 909, 6th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Hororata, Melbourne | |
| 7 Aug 1915: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 909, 6th Infantry Battalion, Shell wound to the right knee and invalided to Egypt on board HS Deta |
Help us honour Harry Burton's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon
Harry embarked at Melbourne on HMAT A.20 Hororata on 19 October 1914. He served at Gallipoli where he suffered a gun shot wound to his right thigh (fractured). He was medically evacuated from Anzac in the hospital ship 'Delta' on 7th August 1915 and admitted to No. 2 Australian General Hospital, Cairo, on 12 August 1915.
Biography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon
Obituary Notices
Nottingham Evening Post, 25th September 1915: “BURTON. – Died of wounds, August, 1915, Pte. Harry Burton, Australian Expeditionary Force, late of Sherwood, aged 18 years. He died a noble death, and was loved by all. – His sorrowing mother and sister.
“BURTON. – Died of wounds, August, 1915, Pte. Harry Burton, aged 18 years, loving grandson of Mr. and Mrs. T. Hodgkinson, 20, Sherbrooke-road, Carrington. He died for his country.”
Nottingham Evening Post Roll of Honour (abridged) 26 September1915: 'Burton. Died of wounds, August 1915, Pte. Harry Burton Australian Expeditionary Force, late of Sherwood, aged 18 years.'
Harry's personal effects were returned to his mother in August 1917: gold brooch (AIEF), toothpowder, nail brush, note book, photo, military cards, letters x2, pencils, cartridge, clip. From a manuscript note on the inventory it appeared that Harry's effects had been inadvertently put with another soldier's personal property in 1916; hence the delay in returning them. Ada Burton had to provide the Australian Army with Harry's birth certificate as proof of their relationship; she sent it in 1916 and as it is not among the scanned (on-line) documents with his service record it is probable that the certificate was returned to her.
He qualified for the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. His mother was sent a pamphlet, 'Where the Australians Rest', with the memorial plaque and scroll.
He is remembered on the following virtual war memorials.
Nottingham North (Arnold, Carrington & Sherwood) Virtual War Memorial.
Nottinghamshire Australians Virtual War Memorial.
Family History:
Harry was the son of Joseph and Ada Burton (née Hodgkinson). [His father Joseph was born in Bulwell, Nottingham, on 23 November 1874, the son of Andrew and Ellzabeth Burton. He was baptised at Bulwell St Mary the Virgin on 3 January 1875.] In 1891 the family was living on Selkirk Terrace, Selkirk Street, Basford; Joseph was a coachman (domestic). By 1901, when Joseph was married, his parents were living on Ramsey Street, Nottingham. His mother Ada was born in Carrington, Nottingham, in 1874 (Basford). She was the daughter of Thomas and Emma Hodgkinson (née Newman) who were married in 1872 (Nottingham). In 1891 Ada (17) was a domestic servant in the household of George Dominy, a brewer's agent, on Mapperley Park Drive, Nottingham. Joseph and Ada were married at Carrington St John the Evangelist on 1 January 1895 (Basford) and had at least two children: Harry b. 14 April 1897 (Basford) bap. Nottingham St Andrew 9 May 1897 and Winifred b. 15 February 1900 (Nottingham) bap. St Andrew 18 March 1900. Joseph and Ada were living at 32 Mansfield Street, Nottingham, when Harry and Winifred were baptised and this was still the family home in 1901. In the home on the night of the census were Joseph (26), a laundry van driver, Ada (26), their two children Harry (3) and Winifred (1) and a boarder, Jack Brown (22), an electrical engineer.
By 1911 Ada Burton was living with the widowed Walter Smith (36), a carter for Nottingham Corporation, at 9 Crown Terrace, Park Lane, Basford. Her status was married and occupation given as housekeeper. Also in the household was her daughter, Winifred. Her son Harry, a butcher's shop assistant, was living with his widowed paternal grandmother, Elizabeth Burton, and five of her children at 19 Ramsay Street, Nottingham. Harry later emigrated to Australia. He enlisted in Melbourne, Victoria, on 17th August 1914 and named Walter Smith of 19 Bastion Street, Radford, as his next of kin. His mother corresponded with the Australian authorities in December 1914 explaining that Walter Smith was 'the gentleman with whom I am living as man and wife' and that as Harry's mother she was his next of kin. She added that Walter Smith used to live at 19 Bastion Street but his home was now 84 Forster Street, Nottingham, although he was 'at present on active service in the Near East.' Harry's next of kin was changed accordingly to his mother, Ada Burton, of 84 Forster Street. His service record also has details of his sister, Winifred Burton, address c/o Mrs Joyce, 80 Mansfield Street, Sherwood, Nottingham. Ada has not yet been traced after 1917. Joseph Burton enlisted in the RAF (365387) on 8 July 1918 at the age of 43; he was then working as a barman. His next of kin was Fanny Metcalfe, his 'unmarried wife', of 11 Conway Street, Nottingham, by whom he had three children whose births were registered as Burton: Thomas Noel b. 24 January 1914 (d. 1988), Marjorie b. 12 February 1916 and Joseph b. 23 November 1917. Joseph served with the BEF from 4 August 1918, joining 151 Squadron on 6 August. He transferred to the RAF Reserve on 17 February 1919 and was discharged on 30 April 1920. Joseph has not yet been traced after this date. Harry's sister, Winifred, married Stanley Herbert Clarke (b. 24 June 1900) in 1925 (Nottingham). Stanley had served in the RAF during the war (189806) attesting on 28 May 1918 when he was just under 18 years of age. He served at Cranwell from 9 June 1918 and was transferred to the RAF Reserve on 1 March 1919. In 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled, Stanley, an electrical and mechanical engineer, and Winifred were living on Newlyn Drive, Nottingham. There were probably no children of the marriage. Stanley died in 1976 and Winifred in 1992 (Nottingham).
He was a butcher's shop assistant in 1911 and followed this trade in Australia
Biography contributed by Carol Foster
Arrived in Australia aged 16 years
Son of Ada Burton. Next of kin listed at Walter Smith 19 Baration Street, Bradford, Nottingham, England. In December 1916 Ada wrote to Base Records stating that Walter Smith was no relation to Harry Burton and that Walter and Ada were living as man and wife. Walter was at that time also so serving overseas ( possibly with the British Army)
Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal