Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of William Burrows a shepherd, born 1849 in Medbourne, Leicestershire and his wife Mary Ann Burrows (nee Wilson, married in the 4th quarter of 1870 in the Market Harborough, Leicestershire district), born 1856 in Ashley, Northamptonshire. John Thomas, a schoolboy, was born in the 2nd quarter of 1884 in Medbourne, his siblings were, George, an agricultural labourer, born 1876, Sarah Jane, a domestic servant, born 1877, Frederick William, a schoolboy, born 1880 and Robert, born 1889, all his siblings were born in Medbourne, in April 1891 the family home was at Crains Yard, Drayton Road, Medbourne. In March 1901 John was absent from the family home at 93, Hall Lane, Medbourne, residing there was his father, an agricultural labourer, his mother and brother Robert, also residing with the family was John’s nephew Clarence, Burrows, born 1897 in Leeds, Yorkshire, John was employed as an apprentice baker and was residing as a boarder at Springbank, Medbourne. In April 1911 John was absent from the family home at Medbourne, residing there was his father a general farm labourer, his mother and brother Robert, a farm labourer, also residing in the family home was John’s nephews, Clarence Burrows, a domestic gardener, John was serving as a Lance Corporal with the 1st Battalion Prince of Wales Own (West Yorkshire Regiment), and was stationed at Connaught Barracks, Rawalpindi, Punjab, India. In the 1st quarter of 1916, John married Alice Ida May Johnson in the Uppingham, Rutland district. The church memorial tablet shows John’s rank as Sergeant, the war memorial at Great Dalby shows the rank as Sergeant Major, however all other military documentary references to John show his rank as a Private. John first entered the theatre of war in France on the 24th September 1914, he was awarded the 1914 Star, British War and Victory medals, and the Military Medal for gallantry.
The War Diary records: 26 May-18 - Divisional Reserve. (H.15.b). Some working parties found. Heavily gas shelled night 26/27th for 5 hours.
The War Diary records: - 27 May-18 - Divisional Reserve. (H.15.b). Shelled throughout day. Casualties – Killed 4 O.R. Wounded 4 O.R. Wounded Gas. Lieut. Dambranckas (M.O.) 2/Lt. Archer. Lieut. Demery and 3 O.R. 2 Lieut. G. M. Clark and 2 Lieut. Pollard joined from 12th Yorkshire Regt.
On Friday June 21st 1918 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “GREAT DALBY.” – DEATH OF TWO LOCAL SOLDIER’S. – Official intimation has been received during the past week of the death in action, on the 27th May, of R.S.M. John Burrows, M.M., and of Sapper Ernest Warner, of bronchial pneumonia at the 5th General Hospital, Rouen, on Sunday last. R.S.M. Burrows, M.M., went out to France in October, 1914. At Hooge in August 1915, later in the same year at Ypres, and on five other occasions he won special recognition for coolness and gallantry, and had been awarded the military medal. He had been out of hospital only a few days, where he had been suffering from gas, when he was killed in action. Of a quiet, unassuming disposition, he was held in high esteem in the parish, and his death has occasioned widespread regret and sympathy for his widow and other relatives. Sapper E. Warner has been out in France some months, and his sad death in hospital from bronchial pneumonia has caused much regret in the village. In his death his widowed mother has now lost all her three sons in the war. Much sympathy is felt for her and the other members of the family.