Name
Alfred Burgin
1892
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
30/06/1916
31
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
L/9579
The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BAGHDAD (NORTH GATE) WAR CEMETERY
Nisibin Mem. 225
Iraq
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
St Lawrence Church Memorial, Bovingdon,
Memorial Plaque, Memorial Hall, Bovingdon*1
Pre War
Alfred James Burgin was born in 1892 in Bovingdon, the son of Frederick and Elizabeth Burgin and one of seven children.
On the 1901 Census, the family were living at Church Lane, Bovingdon where his father was working as a Traction Engine Driver. His father died in 1909, aged 51, and on the 1911 Census he was living with his widowed mother and siblings Frederick, James and Ethel, at Church Lane when he was working as a Farm Labourer.
Wartime Service
Alfred enlisted into the army in Hemel Hempstead on 18 April 1911 and initially joined the Norfolk Regiment, then transferring to the 2nd Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment on 21 April 1911. He attended classes in transport duties in November 1912 and sanitation in September 1913. He spent time in Ireland and in India from 5 February 1913.
When war broke out the 2nd Battalion were sent to Mesopotamia (Iraq) and landed on 6 Feb 1915. He was in one of the two companies which were captured at Kut al Amara on 29 April 1916 and died at Nisibin as a prisoner of war some time between 1 and 30 June 1916.
Additional Information
His mother Elizabeth received a war gratuity of £10 10s and pay owing of £24 9s 10d. She also received a pension of 5 shillings a week.
*1 There is an A Burgin on this memorial, however there are two potential candidates, this man and Albert Arthur Burgin.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Malcolm Lennox, Dick West, www.nam.ac.uk (National Army Museum)
