Pte 24765 William Burrows

• Age: 23
• From: Birmingham
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 25th August 1917
• Commemorated at: Derry House Cem No.2
  Panel Ref: II.E.16

William was born on the 06th January 1894 in Smethwick, Birmingham and was the son of Thomas Burrows and his wife Rhoda (née Jones) who had married in the September quarter of 1891 in Birmingham. 

He went to Causeway Lake Schools for infants from 1899.  

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 101, Alma Street, Wolverhampton. His father, Thomas, is aged 38, born in Smethwick, Staffordshire in 1863 is employed as an ironworker (furnace-man), his mother, Rhoda, is aged 35, born 1866 in Whitchurch, Shropshire and has no occupation listed. They have five children living with them at the time of the Census, William aged 7, born 1894, Rose aged 5, born 1896, Thomas aged 4, born 1897, Robert and Charles aged 1, born 1900. The children were all born in Smethwick.

The 1911 Census shows the family now living 35 Cambridge Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. His father Thomas  is now shown as being aged 41, born 1870 (1901 Census has 1863 as his year of birth) is unemployed and his wife Rhoda is aged 44, (showing year of birth as 1867) and has no occupation listed. They have been married for nineteen years and have six children. William aged 17,is a butchers assistant, Rose aged 15, is listed as at home, Harry shown as Thomas in the 1901 Census is aged 13, Robert and Charles aged 11, and Albert aged 5, born 1906 are at school.  They have a boarder living with them, George Maiden aged 47, born 1864 in Wolverhampton and he is employed as an iron worker. 

The family moved to Ellesmere Port following the relocation of the Wolverhampton Iron and Steel Works where his father Thomas worked as a furnace man. The family were living at 35 Cambridge Road, Ellesmere Port by the time war broke out in August 1914. 

William had started his working life as a Butcher's assistant but started work at the Mersey Iron Works as a 'breaker down'. 

He enlisted on 15th January 1915 and was serving with the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 24765 when he was killed in action on 25th August 1917 aged 23. He was hit by shrapnel which also killed four other men. 

The Battalion War Diary records:  August 22^nd, in trenches.  The battalion took over the front line system left sector, relieving the 46^th Australian Infantry Battn, No. 2 Coy on the left, No.4 on the right, No.1 in support, and No.3 in reserve. Casualties recorded on August 25^th: 4 Killed, 7 Wounded, 1 Died of Wounds. 

The 18th Btn Diary gives the names of those killed alongside William as  Private 16289 George Brough, Corporal 16466 Thomas Clayton Lindsay,  Private 52437 William Ridgway and also Sergeant 16486 Harry Spencer who was wounded and died later that same day.

Local newspaper reports reproduced letters received by the family:

FIVE KILLED BY SHELL

BRAVE ELLESMERE PORT MAN

STRIKING TRIBUTES OF SYMPATHY

We regret to record the death of Pte. Wm. Burrows, the eldest son of Mr and Mrs. Thomas Burrows, 35 Cambridge Road, Ellesmere Port, which occurred in action on the western front on August 25th. Deceased, who previously worked as a breaker down at the Mersey Iron-Works, enlisted in the King's (Liverpool) Regiment on January 15, 1915, and he had been in France one year and nine months, going through many battles including the Somme, without sustaining as much as a scratch. He was only 23 years of age, and the sympathy of the district will go out to his sorrowing parents and family. 

The Rev. J. H. A. Law (Chaplain) writes as follows:

"Your son, Pte Burrows was killed in the line, and died suddenly on the 25th. I buried him on the 26th at 7.30 with four comrades, killed by the same shell, at Wytschaete Cemetery. A cross will mark the sacred spot, and a photo can be got from the enclosed address. I am so sorry for you, who have lost so good and brave a boy - like you I have given my boy. God makes us brave like them to bear our heavy crosses until He calls us to go to them. We have that sure hope. God bless and comfort you and all who loved your lad".

Additionally reported was a letter sent by Sergt Major Crosby DCM

"No doubt by now you will have heard from the Battalion of the sad loss for you that my letter contains, but I feel it my duty to write to you as one who personally knew your dear son, Billy.

I cannot frame into words the deep sorrow I feel for you in the great loss you have sustained in the death in action of your boy. He was killed by shrapnel from a bursting shell, and believe me, he knew no pain, for death was instantaneous. It happened on the morning of the 25th August. He is buried side by side with three other comrades a few yards away from where he fell., and a cross has been erected on his grave. Billy was in my Company until a few weeks, when he became attached to the Battalion Headquarters. He was a fine boy; one of the best and liked by all. His death is keenly felt for he was so popular with everybody. It is an awful blow for you, but I pray that God will comfort you and give you strength to bear up in your dark hour. The remainder of the Ellesmere Port boys in the Battalion wish me to express to you their very deepest sympathy in your bereavement". 

Wytschaete (now Wijtschate) was taken by the Germans early in November 1914. It was recovered by Commonwealth forces during the Battle of Messines on 7 June 1917, but fell into German hands once more on 16 April 1918. The village was recovered for the last time on 28 September.

Derry House Cemetery (there is now only one) was named after a farm, which had been nicknamed "Derry House" by soldiers of the Royal Irish Rifles. It was begun among the ruins of the farm in June 1917 by a field ambulance unit of the 11th Division (32nd Brigade). It was used as a front line cemetery until December 1917, and again in October 1918 by the 2nd London Scottish.

The cemetery contains 166 First World War burials and the remains of a concrete command post built by engineers of the 37th Division in July 1917.

The cemetery was designed by W.H. Cowlishaw.

His death was reported in the Birkenhead News on 15th September 1917:

ELLESMERE PORT SOLDIER FALLS.

Mrs Burrows has received a letter from an army chaplain to say that her son, Private William Burrows, was killed in action on the morning of August 25th. His friends will remember that before "joining up" the deceased soldier was employed as a "breaker-down" in the mills. His relatives have every sympathy in their bereavement.

William is also commemorated on the Mersey Iron Works Memorial currently located in the rear gardens of Royal British Legion Social Club, Stanney Lane, Ellesmere Port and on the Ellesmere Port War Memorial. 

We currently have no further information on William Burrows, if you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.