Burton, AHW

Captain Alfred Henry Wellesley Burton

Alfred was born on August 20^th 1892, the third son, and sixth child, of Lincolnshire landowner William Burton and his wife Georgiana. During his time at Dulwich he was a boarder in Blew House, and, after leaving, went on to Pembroke College, Cambridge – gaining a B.A. in the summer of 1914.

When war was declared just weeks later he re-joined the Cambridge University O.T.C., and in October was assigned to the Lincolnshire Regiment. In July of 1915 Alfred was promoted to Captain two days before he first went to France, seeing his first service at Hill 60 near Ypres, and even serving as acting Major for a period after his commanding officer was wounded. In October he was himself wounded and subsequently invalided home, returning to the front in February 1916. Just a month later however he was wounded near Ypres once more, laying in the trench for eighteen hours before being picked up, and again invalided home. In July 1916 he returned to France once more, subsequently being attached to the 2^nd Battalion on the Somme, with whom he fell whilst leading an attack on the German trenches near Les Boeufs on 23^rd October.