Lieutenant Geoffrey Walter Melvin BURTON
9th (Reserve) Battalion East Kent Regiment (The Buffs) attached to the 6th (Service) Battalion

Date of birth: 10th January 1897
Date of death: 3rd July 1916

Killed in action aged 19
Buried at Ovillers Military Cemetery Plot VIII Row A Grave 8
He was born at Chichester in Sussex on the 10th of January 1897 the only son of Oliver Edward Burton BA, of the Steamship Fishing Company, and Mary Melvin (nee Young) of Clare Lodge, Montifiore Avenue in Ramsgate.

He was educated at Dumpton House School Broadstairs and at the King’s School Canterbury from January 1911 to October 1914 where he was awarded a Junior Scholarship in June 1912 and a Senior Scholarship in June 1914. He was appointed as a school monitor in September 1913 and as a house monitor in September 1914. He was editor of the Cantuarian in 1914 and was a member of Cricket XI from 1912 to 1914, where he was Hon Secretary in 1913, Vice Captain in 1914 and Captain elect for 1915. He was second in the batting averages in his last two seasons with averages of 23 and 16.20 respectively, his highest score being 108 v. Rev. L. H. Evan's XI in 1914.

Of his first season with the Cricket XI in 1912 the Canturian wrote:-

"A painstaking bat and ought to improve greatly; played some good innings. Rather slow in the field but improving."

In 1913 they wrote:-

"Was somewhat disappointing in spite of one or two useful innings, but his hundred "not out" v the OKS showed what he can do, and what we shall look for in 1914. A very fair field."

Of his 1914 season they wrote:-

"A very useful bat; played several good innings last year, especially v Mr Evan's XI and St Edmund's School; has increased in punishing power, but still too fond of hanging his bat out. A good field, and safe catch."

He was elected as a member of the Sports Committee in 1912, serving until 1914. He was a member of the Officer Training Corps for three years and passed the Certificate A practical paper in February 1914. He served as a Corporal in No. 1 Platoon and attended the annual camps.
On the 21st of September 1914 he was elected to the committee of the Harvey Society and on the 23rd of September he was elected as a member of the Debating Society committee.

While still at school he applied for a commission on the 11th of September 1914 in an application which supported by Algernon Latter, Headmaster of the Junior King's School. He wrote: - "Burton is a good chap, very keen, will I think do well." He underwent a medical examination at the Buffs Depot in Canterbury on the the same day at which it was recorded that he was five feet eight and a half inches tall and that he weighed 146lbs. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 9th (Reserve) Battalion East Kent Regiment on the 20th of October 1914 and was promoted to Lieutenant in November 1915. He embarked for France on the 11th of November 1915 where he was attached to the 6th Battalion of his regiment and joined them in the field.

Following the disastrous first day of the Battle of the Somme on the 1st of July the 6th Battalion East Kent Regiment was ordered into the trenches late on that first day. They arrived in their positions in front of the village of Ovillers at 2.45am on the 2nd of July. At 1.15am on the morning of the 3rd they received orders for an attack on the village which 8th Division had failed to capture two days earlier. After an hour of intense preparatory bombardment by the artillery the Brigade went into the attack at 3.15am. A few casualties were taken by the Germans retaliating with their artillery but A Company moved off at 3.30am and was hit by very heavy machine gun fire from their left. They managed to get to the German wire by which time C Company was crossing no man's land also suffering heavy casualties. A small group under Lieutenant Farmer managed to get into the German trenches and commenced bombing the German dugouts. He soon found his position to be untenable and gathered his small group together and brought them back to the British lines. Orders were received at 7.30am for a further attack by B and D Companies which had not taken part in the first attack but these were cancelled later in the day. Geoffrey Burton was initially reported as missing during the attack but was later confirmed as having been killed. In all, the battalion sustained casualties of eleven officers and two hundred and sixty three other ranks during the assault.

His father received the following telegram dated the 7th of July 1916: -

"Regret to inform you that 2nd Lieut. G.W.M. Burton 6 East Kent Regt. is reported missing 3rd July. This does not mean that he is killed or wounded. Further news will be sent if received."

He received a further telegram dated the 2nd of August 1916: -

"Deeply regret to inform you that Lt G.W.M. Burton previously reported missing has now been reported killed in action 3 July 1916. The Army Council express their sympathy."

He was initially buried "on the north western outskirts of Ovillers-La Boisselle" but his body was reinterred at its present site in 1920
 

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