William James Burns
Memorial: South Gloucestershire war dead not on a local memorial
Regiment: Gloucestershire Regiment
Medals: British War Medal, Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 1914 - 1921, Victory Medal
Rank and number: Lance Corporal 29798
Parents: Patrick and Elizabeth Ann Burns
Home address: 6 Kennington Avenue, Kingswood, Bristol
Date of birth: 30/12/1896
Place of birth: Guernsey
Date of death: 25/08/1918
Buried/Commemorated at: Buried at Queens Cemetery, Bucquoy, Pas de Calais, France. Not commemorate on a local memorial.
Age: 22
Further information:
William was born in Guernsey, the son of a coal carter and a middle child of six with three sisters and two brothers.
William's battalion (the 12th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment) mobilised to France in November 1915 and fought in the Battles of The Somme Arras and Ypres. On the 20th May 1918, William was taken to the 14th Field Ambulance Station with gunshot wounds to his neck. The following day he was transferred to the 39th Casualty Clearing Station in Aire Sur La Lys (France). His wounds however, must have been fairly superficial as just three months later he was recorded as being killed in action during the Second Battle of Bapaume (21 August – 3 September 1918). This battle was a victory for the allies and resulted in an advance of 20 miles but at a cost of 11,000 casualties.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/