Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Namps-Au-Val British Cemetery | I. A. 4. | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.118 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 17A GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Son of Thomas John and Mary Ellen Burton, of Key's Hotel, Market Place, Great Driffield, Yorks.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 1/6 Durham Light Infantry |
1/6th Battalion August 1914 : at Bishop Auckland. Part of DLI Brigade, Northumbrian Division. Moved to Bolden Colliery in early August, then Ravensworth Park. Was at Newcastle by October. 17 April 1915 : landed at Boulogne. 14 May 1915 : became 151st Brigade in 50th (Northumbrian) Division. 3 June 1915 : after taking heavy casualties, 1/6th and 1/8th Bns merged to form 6/8th Bn. Resumed original identity 11 August 1915. 15 July 1918 : reduced to cadre strength and transferred to Lines of Communication. 16 August 1918 : transferred to 117th Brigade in 39th Division. 6 November 1918 : disbanded in France. |
| Action : The First Battles of the Somme 1918 and associated actions |
21 March - 4 July 1918. The Battles of the Somme in 1918 were mostly concerned with stemming the German advance which started in March 1918 and which made considerable gains in the Somme/Arras sector. Utilising surplus troops which had become available following the surrender of Russia after the October Revolution, the Germans gambled on a massive campaign that could win the war in the west before the USA could bring its resources to bear. Initial gains were in places spectacular but eventually dogged resistance coupled with supply problems and sheer exhaustion closed down the battle. Other attacks were launched along the front to probe the Allied defences but the same pattern of initial gains followed by stalemate prevailed. British casualties were almost 345,000.
Detail :
Lieutenant John BURTON had served with the 1/5 Durham Light Infantry and was wounded on the Somme in November 1916 (at the Butte de Warlencourt) and also near Arras on 24th August 1917 whilst on patrol in No Man's Land. Despite this wound he remained on duty. By 1918 he was serving with the 1/6 Durham Light Infantry which was on the 23rd March fighting near Catingny during the German Kaiserschlacht offensive. The battalion continued to retreat via Estrees, Genermont and Marchelepot. During the retreat they were under attack and by the time they established a defensive line on the 31st March they had lost 11 officers and 312 other ranks. John BURTON was one of the officers who died of wounds at the Casualty Clearing Station at Estrees which was adjacent to the cemetery where he is buried. He was initiated into his Lodge just before he returned to the front and just 2 weeks before he was killed.
Probate record: BURTON, Thomas John of Great Driffield, Yorkshire, Lieutenant, Durham Infantry, died 27th March 1918 in France on active service. Administration London 18th December to John Burton, Hotel Proprietor. Effects £251 17s 6d.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Sykes No. 1040 E.C. | Yorkshire (North & East Ridings) |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
13th March 1918 | - | - |
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley