2nd Lieutenant, William Frederic BURGESS
Aged 26
|
William Frederic Burgess was born on 27th February 1890 in Panchgani, nr.Bombay, India, baptised there on 6th April, the son of Rev. Edward
Simeon and Elizabeth BURGESS (née GIBSON).
He is on the memorial as Wilfred, but he was actually William Frederic.
1891 census...not found in this census. He was educated at the Junior King's School, Canterbury from September 1898 to April 1899. 1901 census...not found in this census. 1911 census...not found in this census. His parents were at The Vicarage, Pakenham. His father seems to have become Vicar at Pakenham in 1907. John Lionel Burgess, killed in Nigeria in 1916 was his brother see here The travels of this family are hard to ascertain.Their father was born in Ferozepore, Bengal in 1850 and married his mother in Kussowlie, Bengal in 1875. Curate of Pakenham in 1902, vicar in 1904 and Chairman of Parish Council between 1907 and 1918 |
|
He enlisted as Private 1334 in the Middlesex Regiment and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Suffolk Regiment on the 13th of June
1915; he was posted to the 10th (Reserve) Battalion of his regiment. He embarked for France on the 27th of July 1916 and was one of seven
officers who joined the 2nd Battalion of his regiment in the field at Mericourt on the Somme on the 1st of August 1916 to replace the
heavy losses the battalion had suffered during July.
The battalion were involved in the attack that took part of Cochrane Alley on 16th, before being forced to withdraw. Then on 18th another attack was launched, this one being more successful. This success however brought about a heavy barrage from the German artillery which caused many casualties, one being William Burgess, reported as missing on 18th.
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
