Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

George Edward Charles Burton was born in the Parish of Preston, in the town of Lancashire in England on 16 June 1892. George and his family migrated to Australia sometime after the year of George’s birth.  His family, including his father, J Burton, lived in Whitmore Square in the city of Adelaide. George’s religious background was Church of Christ.  Before enlisting to serve in the war, Burton worked as a blacksmith but had previously served in His Majesty’s Military for a period of five years. George Burton officially enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on the 10th November 1914 at Ascot Park, Adelaide when he was 22 years old.  At the time of his enlistment, George was single, with a height of 5 feet 8 inches, a weight of 10 stone 11 pounds, a fair complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. Between the time George enlisted in the AIF and the time he departed to fight in World War 1, he was married to Winifred Myrtle Jenkins and, he and his wife resided in North Road, Prospect in Adelaide, South Australia.

George Burton was a soldier in the 4th Reinforcement 10th Battalion Infantry. The 10th Battalion was recruited in South Australia and was amongst the first infantry units raised for the AIF. Burton’s Battalion, along with soldiers from the 9th, 11th and 12th Battalions, was part of the 3rd Infantry Brigade. As a member of the 10th Battalion, George Burton’s rank was that of private, the lowest grade of enlisted personnel. After a period of basic training, Burton embarked from Outer Harbour, Port Adelaide on the 1st of April, 1915 onboard HMAT A17 Port Lincoln. With his fellow soldiers, Private George Burton embarked on the long journey to Egypt. For Burton, this must-have felt both exciting and daunting, knowing he was finally about to serve his country, but not knowing what was in store for him. It was during the training in Egypt, that the Australians and New Zealanders were combined into one Corps – the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, the Anzacs. Private George Burton, therefore, was one of the original Anzacs. The Anzac Corps received orders that they were to be part of the invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula.

Burton arrived in Gallipoli, Turkey in May 1915 and the 10th Battalion took on the strength of his unit, the 4th Reinforcement,  At this time, the 10th Battalion was occupying trenches and was heavily involved in establishing and defending the front line of the Anzac position. Burton was now involved in trench warfare and would have been involved in manning front-line positions and working in carrying parties. On the 31st May 1915, not long after Burton commenced fighting, he received four days of field punishment. His offence was being asleep while on duty. Living and fighting in the trenches resulted in extreme fatigue for Burton, who was unable to remain awake on duty. Burton was granted a further 28 days of field punishment on the 27th June 1915 for the feigning disease. This offence suggests the desperation Burton must have felt as he attempted to feign a disease in order to be removed from fighting. Burton neglected to obey an order on the 16th July 1915 and this offence of insolence resulted in two days of field punishment.    

Fighting in the trenches on the Gallipoli Peninsula resulted in heavy casualties. On the 27th July 1915, George Burton was wounded in action with a gunshot wound to his back and stomach. He was taken to the First Casually Station on Gallipoli but, four days later, on the 31st July 1915, he was transferred to the hospital ship, “Somali”, to Malta where he was admitted to the military hospital. Back in Australia, Burton’s father received news of his son’s war wound and, although the letter claimed that Burton’s wound was “reported not serious”, Private Burton embarked for England on HS Indiana on the 17th of August 1915 and was admitted to King George Hospital in Stanford, London on the 30th August 1915.

On the 11th March 1916, Burton left Portland, England and embarked on SS Suevic, for return to Australia. He arrived in Melbourne on the 22nd of April 1916. Private George Burton was officially discharged from the AIF at Keswick Barracks, Adelaide, “in consequence of medical unfitness” on the 30th of May 1916. Burton was discharged, being of good character and medically unfit due to a gunshot wound in the back. Private George Burton of the 10th Battalion had served a total of one year and 203 days with the AIF, with a total of one year and 23 days abroad.

George Burton was awarded several medals for serving in the AIF during World War 1, including the 1914 - 1915 Star Medal, the British War Medal of 1914 - 20 and the Victory Medal. Burton was awarded the 1914 - 1915 Star Medal for fighting against the Central Powers between the 5th of April 1914 and the 31st of December 1915, as part of his Campaign Service of the British Empire. This medal recognised Burton’s dedicated service and commitment as a soldier during World War 1. The British War Medal of 1914-20 was a Campaign Medal of the British Empire for service in World War One. Burton was awarded this medal in recognition of his service between 5th of August 1914 and the 11th of November 1918 in some of the most abhorrent and appalling battles the world has been challenged with. This medal acknowledges the tremendous courage and bravery Burton summoned to fight despite such incredibly difficult circumstances. The Victory Medal, which memorialized the achievement of Allied Forces over the Central Powers in World War 1, was also bestowed upon Burton. It demonstrated his personal efforts and sacrifice as a soldier who fought with the Allied Forces to achieve victory over the Central Powers.

George Burton was indeed fortunate not to have been killed during World War 1, as so many South Australian soldiers of his Battalion had been. He had been able to return home to Australia to resume his life with his wife.

Until the time of his death on the 30th April 1932, George Burton and his wife lived at Wright Court in the city of Adelaide. Burton was 39 years old when he died and his resting place is the AIF Cemetery in West Terrace, Adelaide.

Private George Burton was one of the original Anzacs to serve his country in World War 1. The word “Anzac” has come to stand for the outstanding qualities soldiers and military personnel have demonstrated in times of war. Fighting in the trenches in Gallipoli, Burton needed to endure the tremendous hardships of the war and summon his courage to continue fighting in horrific circumstances. There would have been many times when his ingenuity was called upon to survive life in the trenches and times when he and his fellow soldiers relied upon each other for support and friendship; times when mateship was cultivated and strengthened. The qualities of endurance, courage, ingenuity and mateship were born out of the very hardships Burton and his fellow soldiers experienced fighting in the Great War, World War 1.  

ww.awm.gov.au. (n.d.). Victory medal | The Australian War Memorial. [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/learn/memorial-boxes/1/object-list/victory-medal.