Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Charles Thomas Burford a boot and shoe manufacturer, born on the 3rd February 1866 in Birmingham, Warwickshire and baptised on the 23rd July 1866 in St. Bartholomew’s Church, Birmingham (son of Charles Burford, 1831-1869 and Elizabeth Puffer, 1836-1919) and his wife Clara Jane Burford (nee Tomlin, married in the October quarter of 1889 in Hinckley, Leicestershire), born on the 20th May 1871 in Hinckley and baptised on the 18th June 1871 in Hinckley (daughter of James Tomlin, 1836 and Ann Gregory, 1836). Charles Thomas was born in the April quarter of 1897 in Hinckley, his siblings were, Emily Ann, born in the January quarter of 1891 and baptised on the 2nd February 1891 in Hinckley, Ethel, born in the January quarter of 1892 and baptised on the 23rd March 1892 in Hinckley, Florence, born on the 28th February 1893 and baptised on the 18th June 1895 in Hinckley, Eveline Maud, born in the April quarter of 1896 and Olive, born in the October quarter of 1899, all his siblings were born in Hinckley, in March 1901 the family home was at John Street, St. Mary’s, Hinckley. In April 1911 Charles was a schoolboy and was residing in the family home at 26, John Street, Hinckley, together with his father, a commercial traveller, his mother and siblings, Emily, Ethel, a hosiery trade worker, Florence, a hosiery trade worker, Eveline, a hosiery trade worker, Olive, a schoolgirl and James Tomlin, a schoolboy, born on the 22nd October 1901 in Hinckley.
Charles’ army service enlistment documents do not survive, therefore the currently available information pertaining to his military service has been obtained from the following sources: - 1921 HMSO Publication, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914 - 1919, WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards, WW1 Pension Ledgers and Index Cards and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Registers.
Enlisted/Attested in Kendal, Westmoreland into the Regular Army, date not known.
Joined. Place and date not known.
Posted. To Royal Garrison Artillery, date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number 55966.
Transferred. To Corps of Royal Engineers. Sapper. Place and date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number 34592.
Posted. To 68th Field Company. Place and date not known.
First entered the theatre of war in Egypt. 16/9/15.
Wounded in action. In the Field. Date not known.
Transferred. To Alexandria per Hospital Ship Delta. Date not known.
Died. Aboard Hospital Ship Delta. 6/12/15.
Buried at sea. 6/12/15.
Commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey.
Awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In the event of his death, Charles nominated his father, Charles as his sole legatee.
On the 8th September 1916, Charles’ mother, Clara Jane Burford, of Tower Villa, John Street, Hinckley, Leicestershire was awarded a weekly Army Dependant’s Pension of three shillings and six pence, commensurate on the 29th August 1916, this was increased on the 6th November 1918, the increase is not recorded.
Charles’ British War and Victory Medals were returned unclaimed under the following reference [BW & V M/Retd. (992 K.R. 1923) 8426/adt.]
On Tuesday, December 14th, 1915, The Leicester Daily Post published the following article on page five, under the heading. – “Leicestershire and the War.” – LOCAL CASUALTIES. – Sapper C. T. BURFORD, Royal Engineers, elder son of Mr. and Mrs. C. Burford, of Tower Villa, John-street, Hinckley, is officially reported to have died on December 6th, of wounds received in the Dardanelles. Sapper Burford, who was not quite 19 years of age, was for three years a pupil at the electricity works at Nuneaton and early in August, 1914, he obtained a berth at the Kendal electricity works. He resigned this appointment to enlist in the following December. The same article was reproduced on page five, in the Monday December 13th edition of the Leicester Daily Mercury.
And in the same edition, on page eight, under the heading. – “LEICESTERSHIRE ROLL OF HONOUR.” - (A photograph accompanied the article). – Sapper C. T. BURFORD, Royal Engineers, died of wounds in the Dardanelles on Dec. 6th; elder son of Mr. and Mrs. C. Burford, Tower Villa, John-street, Hinckley. The same article was reproduced on page three, in the Tuesday December 14th edition of the Leicester Daily Mercury, together with an accompanying photograph.
On Tuesday, December 16th, 1915, The Leicester Evening Mail published the following article on page five, under the heading. – HINCKLEY SAPPER DIES OF WOUNDS. – Mr. and Mrs. C. Burford, of Tower Villa, Hinckley, learn officially that their eldest son, Sapper Charles Thomas Burford, aged 18, of the 68th Field Company, 12th Division Royal Engineers, has died at Alexandria, of wounds received in action. He studied at the Leicester Technical Schools with marked success.
[recognitum X-XI-MMXXII]