Burdett, Charles Plantagenet Balfour

BURDETT,

CHARLES PLANTAGENET BALFOUR

BORN 26 JANUARY 1890

Charles Plantagenet

Balfour Burdett was born in the United States on 26 January 1890. The University of Durham has researched the life of Charles and hence much of what we know comes from their Roll of Honour Record.

He was the third child of John E Burdett and Adelaide Victoria Stanley Burdett (née Leatham b 1859). John, a Canadian citizen, was a mechanical engineer working with motor cycles.

Both John and Adelaide were originally from Ireland. John was born in 1856 in Newbliss, County Monaghan, whilst Adelaide was born in 1859 in Upper Langfield, County Tyrone. John and Adelaide had three more children, John Head Burdett (b 1884), Sybil Mary Burdett (b 1886 in Shell Mouth, Manitoba, Canada) and Cyril French Burdett (b 1896 in Lewisham London).

John and Adelaide returned to Liverpool, England on the RMS Etruria in 1893, and then settled in Middlesex. Cyril was born after their return from Canada. John established a Cycle and Motor Engineering business under the name of Maxwell and Burdett.

Charles Burdett entered School on 12 January 1898, aged 7, but left after only a few months on 3 February 1898, aged 8. The records remark ‘was allowed to attend on a visit to Clifton’. Charles’ brother, John Head, also attended the School from 19 September 1893 to December 1898. At that time, the School records showed their guardian was their Aunt, Miss Louisa Burdett, of 6 Alma Road Clifton.

In 1911, Charles started a degree in Theology at the University of Durham, graduating with a BA in 1913. He was a keen sportsman taking an active part in hockey, football and rowing. He was due to take the curacy of St Thomas, Stepney, but on the outbreak of war enlisted in September 1914. By 12 August 1915, he was a temporary Second Lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers (the City of London Regiment), 15th Battalion. This was a reserve battalion that stayed on home soil.

Later he transferred to the regular forces and attached to the 9th Battalion arrived in France on 9 March 1916. He was killed on 7 July 1916, aged 26, during an attack on the village of Ovillers, part of the Battle of the Somme. His commanding officer wrote to his parents, “Your son…was killed as he was gallantly leading his platoon to the attack. I cannot say too much about his calmness under fire. The whole

2nd Lt. C.P.B. Burdett (Ref: MIA 1/338)

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CONT. BURDETT,

CHARLES PLANTAGENET BALFOUR

BORN 26 JANUARY 1890

battalion honoured and respected him.”

A brother officer also wrote at the time, providing a more detailed report of the circumstances of his death. Charles Burdett was originally buried in Mash Valley Cemetery but his grave was lost in later fighting and he is therefore commemorated on a memorial in Ovillers Military Cemetery, (grave reference Mash Valley Memorial, Panel 7).

He is also recorded on the war memorial at Ealing in London. His next of kin were recorded as John and Adelaide Burdett of 15 Waldemar Avenue, Ealing, Middlesex.

John Head Burdett, Charles’ brother, received his commission for the Royal Navy on 19 December 1914 and became a Surgeon Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Air Force, (Royal Naval Air Service).

“Our company was in the front line. Just before going over, your son was buried by a shell, but in spite of the severe shock, he persisted in going over with his men. When half way over No Man’s Land the company came under heavy machine-gun fire and the line halted, lay down, and opened fire on the German trench. After a short time, Burdett got up and rushed his men forward to the German lines.”

This account appeared in Obituary, “Deaths.” Times [London, England] 21 July 1916.

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