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 Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 12C.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, Bushey Memorial, Clay Hill, St James’ Church Memorial, Bushey, St Paul's Church Memorial, Bushey, Wesleyan (now Bushey & Oxhey Methodist) Church Memorial, Oxhey, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford, Not on the Croxley Green memorials
Pre War
Born at Lockerley, Hampshire in 1888, William Henry Burch was the son of Samuel George and Alice Ada (nee Perren) Burch. His parents later moved to Rosemary Cottages, Dickenson Avenue, Croxley, Herts. This address was given after death, so it is possible that Herbert had no direct connection to this location.
His parents married 1886 in the Romsey, Hants, district. Alice died 1887 in the Romsey district aged 28. Samuel remarried 1889 in the St Pancras, London, district to Eliza Ann BOUND. Eliza died 1934 aged 84; Samuel died 1938 aged 77; both in the Watford district.
William was born 1887 in Lockerley, Hants,
On the 1891 Census, aged 3 he lived in St Pancras, with his parents and one sibling. On the 1901 Census, aged 13 he lived in Cheshunt, Herts, with his parents and two siblings. On the 1911 Census, an insurance agent aged 23, he was a boarder in Godstone, Surrey.
He married Eleanor Elizabeth Goodwin at Frogmore, Herts on 21st December 1912 at Holy Trinity, Frogmore, Herts. They made their home at 25, Vale Road, Bushey. and; they had two children. He resided in Bushey. Eleanor remarried 1932 in the Watford district to Frank H LANE, and died 23 November 1969 in Hatch End, Middx, aged 79.
(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 on 12 December 1915 as Private 6877 with the Hertfordshire Regiment. He was a clerk aged 28 of Bushey, Herts, 5’7½” tall.
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 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’".
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.
He was entitled to the Victory and British War medals, and 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.
Additional Information
There is a Death announcement for William in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 2 December 1916; plus an in Memoriam in the issue dated 17 November 1917. Has a entry in the National Roll of the Great War.
Acknowledgments
Andrew Palmer,
Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild, Paul Johnson, Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
