Name
William Henry Burch
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
13/11/1916
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
6877
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Battalion
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 12 C.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Bushey Town Memorial,
St James’ Church Memorial, Bushey,
Wesleyan (now Bushey & Oxhey Methodist) Church Memorial, Oxhey,
Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Born at Lockerley, Hampshire in 1888, William Henry Burch was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel George Burch. His parents later moved to Rosemary Cottages, Dickenson Avenue, Croxley, Herts.
Church marriage documents show he married an Eleanor Elizabeth Goodwin at Frogmore, Herts on 21st December 1912 and they made their home at 25, Vale Road, Bushey. (Note: The civil registration index shows her name as Maud E Goodwin, but it is thought this is a transcription error).
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Watford in 1916 as Private 6877 with the Hertfordshire Regiment and after a period of training was drafted to France in August. He took a prominent part in the severe fighting on the Somme, where he was killed in action on 13 November 1916, aged 28.
His pension record shows two children, Winifred Alice (born 10/04/13) and Irene Nellie (born 06/08/14) and that his widow, Elanor Elizabeth was granted 22/11 per week with effect from 04/06/1917.
His death was reported in The West Herts and Watford Observer, the text from which is transcribed below:
"Pte W H Burch, Herts Regiment, of Vale Road has been killed in action. He enlisted in May and has been at the front since August. Previously he was a clerk at Messrs Blyth & Platt’s and used to play the cornet in the Volunteer Training Corps Band’".
He is remembered with honour in France on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, Pier & Face 12C. He is also commemorated on the Bushey Memorial, at St James’, St Paul’s and at Bushey & Oxhey Methodist Church.
His Service Record is available.
Additional Information
Information provided with the kind permission of Bushey First World War Commemoration Project – Please visit www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk.
Acknowledgments
Andrew Palmer
Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild, Paul Johnson
