Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Thomas Burrows, a stone quarryman, born on the 23rd July 1864 in Ketton Rutland and baptised on the 16th April 1865 in St. Mary’s Church, Ketton (son of Thomas Burrows, 1831-1907 and Ann Brown, 1833-1904) and his wife Martha Burrows (nee Loweth (Louth), married on the 25th December 1886 in St. Mary’s Church, Ketton), born in the July quarter of 1866 in Ketton and baptised on the 28th October 1866 in St. Mary’s Church, Ketton (daughter of Henry Valentine Loweth, 1834-1899 and Elizabeth Barwell, 1834-1919). Thomas was born in the April quarter of 1896 in Ketton and was baptised on the 26th April 1896 in St. Mary’s Church, Ketton, his siblings were, Harry, an ordinary farm labourer, born on the 14th September 1887 and baptised on the 19th August 1888 in St. Mary’s Church, Ketton, Polly, born on the 6th December 1888 and baptised on the 23rd February 1890 in St. Mary’s Church, Ketton, Arthur, born on the 30th December 1893 and baptised on the 11th February 1894 in St. Mary’s Church, Ketton, William, born on the 17th January 1899 and baptised on the 19th March 1899 in St. Mary’s Church, Ketton and Rachel, born on the 24th December 1900 and baptised on the 16th November 1902 in St. Mary’s Church, Ketton, all his siblings were born in Ketton, in March 1901 the family home was at The Bricks, Ketton. In April 1911 Thomas was residing in the family home at Ketton, together with his father, an agricultural labourer, his mother and siblings, Harry, a farm labourer, Arthur, a farm labourer, Willie, Rachel, Herbert, born on the 31st July 1903 and baptised on the 18th October 1903 in St. Mary’s Church, Ketton and Mabel, born on the 16th December 1908 and baptised on the 28th February 1909 in St. Mary’s Church, Ketton, the latter two siblings were both born in Ketton. Thomas also had the following siblings, Fred, who was born on the 17th January 1890 and baptised on the 23rd February 1890 in St. Mary’s Church, Ketton and who died in the April quarter of 1890 in Ketton, Alice, who was born on the 3rd January 1891 and baptised on the 22nd February 1891 in St. Mary’s Church, Ketton and who died in the April quarter of 1894 in Ketton, aged 3 and Thomas Herbert, who was born on the 7th December 1892 and baptised on the 29th January 1893 in St. Mary’s Church, Ketton and who died in the July quarter of 1893 in Ketton.
Prior to enlistment he followed the occupation of farm labourer. He embarked for France on the 15th November 1916. He met his death while serving on the Somme front.
Thomas’s 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 Oakham, Rutland on the 16th May 1916.
Joined, date and place not known.
Posted. Royal Field Artillery, Gunner, date not known.
Allotted. Service number. 149333.
Posted. “D” Battery, 84th Brigade, date not known.
First entered the theatre of war in France after the 31st December 1915.
Killed in action on the 28th April 1917.
Buried in the field, 28th April 1917.
Body recovered and exhumed from map reference: 51b.B.15.a.2.8 and identified by means of numerals, clothing, boots. The following effects were forwarded to Base, key insurance label. 11/8/23.
Reburied in Albuera Cemetery, Bailleul-Sire-Bethoult, Pas de Calais, France.
Awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In the event of his death, Thomas nominated his mother, Martha as his sole legatee.
No War Diary:
The 84th (LXXXIV) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery of which Thomas is recorded as serving with, served with the 18th (Eastern Division) from its establishment in September 1914 as part of Kitchener’s Second New Army. It was in action during 1916 on The Somme in the Battle of Albert capturing their objectives near Montauban, The Battle of Bazentin Ridge including the capture of Trones Wood, The Battle of Delville Wood, The Battle of Thiepval Ridge, the Battle of the Ancre Heights playing a part in the capture of the Schwaben Redoubt and Regina Trench and the Battle of the Ancre. The 84th (LXXXIV) Brigade left the Division on the 25th January 1917, and was broken up and divided between “D” (Howitzer) Battery, 82nd (LXXXII) Brigade and “D” (Howitzer) Battery, 83rd (LXXXIII) Brigade.
There is no action recorded in either of the war diaries for the 82nd or 83rd Brigades of the Royal Field Artillery for the 28th April 1917, that could have resulted in Thomas being killed in action, the assumption is that when “D” Battery of the 84th Brigade was broken up, Thomas was transferred to another Battery of the Royal Field Artillery, however with the lack of a service record, this cannot be confirmed.