Phil Burton shares the story of his Grandfather and Great Uncles – five men from the Burton family who served in World War I.

My Grandfather, Lewes Lionel Wilson Trenery Burton was the youngest of five brothers who served in the Great War. He served with his brothers Captain Arthur Roland, Harold Jefferson, Archibald Trenery and Gordon Counsell.

Harold Jefferson embarked 19 October 1914 on the HMAT Hororata; Archibald Percival Trenery and Gordon Counsell embarked 21 October 1914 on the HMAT Orvieto; Arthur Roland embarked 7 February 1916 on the HMAT Miltiades and Lewes Lionel Wilson Trenery embarked 4 May 1916 on the HMAT Port Lincoln.

Our family are extremely proud of Grandfather and our four Great Uncles.

Grandfather Lewes and three of his brothers returned home – sadly, Archibald did not. Our family is trying to gain acknowledgement that Archibald served at Gallipoli although his service record does not show this.

 Archibald Trenery Burton, Service Number 149, enlisted on 1st September 1914 and originally served with the 2nd Field Company Engineers along with one of his brothers, Gordon Counsell Burton, Service Number 123. Archibald’s service record relating to Gallipoli shows that he embarked at Alexandria on the 5 April 1915 sailing for Lemnos and then on to Gallipoli on the 25 April. There is no mention of injury or illness at Gallipoli on his file, perhaps the reason for not receiving an acknowledgement. The unit was decimated at Gallipoli and Archibald was eventually transferred to the 12th Field Company Engineers where he was wounded in action on the 17 October 1917. Archibald died of these wounds on the 19 October 1917 and he was buried at Nine Elms British cemetery which is located just out of Poperinge, Belgium.