Sgt 57502 Arthur Edward Burt

• Age: 25
• From: Richmond, Surrey
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Arthur Edward Burt was born 26th October 1892 in Richmond, Surrey. He was baptised on 28th January 1893 at St Matthias Church, Richmond. He was the youngest child of James Burt and his wife Laura (nee Cowles) who married in Christ Church, Mortlake in 1882. James’s occupation is recorded as painter.

Sadly Arthur’s mother died in 1900 at the age of 46 when Arthur was only 7.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 13 Audley Road, Richmond, Surrey. James was 51 and born in Tooting, his trade was shown as paper hanger. His children were Edith Mary also born in Tooting aged 16, George Henry aged 10, and Arthur Edward aged 8. The couple also had another son William James born in 1886, so would have been 15.

His father James remarried to Emily Elizabeth Burrows on the 16th July 1901 at St Mathew, Richmond, Emily was a 38 year old widow of 24 Queens Rd.

The 1911 census the couple were living at the same address with Arthur who was 18 and employed as a boot shop assistant. He was also employed prior to the war as a telegraph messenger.

Arthur’s brother William in 1911 is on the census of soldiers who are serving in India, in the 14th King’s Hussars, William served from 1906 to 1913 and was then recalled in 1914. He married Edith Louise Hart in 1916. Their sister Edith is working as a parlourmaid for two single sisters in their 50s in Richmond.

Arthur enlisted in Fulham and served originally as 2360 in the London Divisional Cyclist Company. Following a transfer he was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Sergeant No 57502 when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917 shot by a sniper aged 25 during the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as the Battle of Passchendaele.

On this day, before Zero Hour, the 18th Battalion was part of 21st Brigade and was to form up for the attack from trenches from the area of Sanctuary Wood to Observatory Ridge but it was dark and continually falling rain gave very poor visibility. The departure of the 21st Brigade was delayed by heavy shelling.

The 18th King’s began to move forward in the rear of the 2nd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment who had been detailed as the left attacking battalion of the 21st Brigade.

No’s 1 and 3 Companies of the King’s led the way followed by No’s 2 and 4. In Sanctuary Wood there was considerable confusion, as a result No.2 and No.4 Companies became separated from the others, and were moved over to the left flank towards positions known as Surbiton Villas and Clapham Junction in the direction of the 90th Brigade.

No.1 and 3 Companies were soon in action with the enemy, and were for a time, held up against an enemy strong point. They pushed forward with their right on a trench known as Jar Row and their left on the tramway south of Stirling Castle. Advance along Jar Row was held up by the Germans who put up a fierce resistance and the party was forced to withdraw.

Another group of men from No.1 and No.3 Companies led by 2nd Lieut. Graham were being held up by another strongpoint which was south of Stirling Castle, which was eventually stormed and taken. Not far away from this action, an attempt, by other men of No.1 and No.3 companies, was made to penetrate a broad belt of uncut wire, but this was covered by

Machine-guns which killed almost every man attempting to pass through the two gaps that were discovered.

The situation was similar with No.2 and 4 Companies, who had attacked along the wrong axis. Their advance was met with fierce opposition, and once all the experienced officer’s had been killed or wounded, all cohesion was lost, although some men did reach and cross the Menin Road at Clapham Junction.

By that time, the situation had become extremely confused, and the whereabouts of all four companies being unknown to Battalion Headquarters, urgent attempts were made to discover their locations. Eventually by mid- afternoon, it was established that the bulk of the companies, although all mixed together, were dug in the vicinity of Stirling Castle and by mid evening, the Battalion Headquarters moved forward to meet them.

During its time in the line the 18th Battalion lost 7 officers and 76 men who were killed or died of wounds and 7 officers and 177 men were wounded. They were relieved on the 2nd August.

Arthur's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

Soldiers Effects to father James, the Pensions of George and Arthur went to step-mother Emily Elizabeth. 

Arthur’s brother William James Burt served in the 14th Kings Hussars 28903 in India and Mesopotamia. He died of wounds on the 29th September 1917, and is buried in Baghdad North Gate War Cemetery, Iraq.

Their brother George Henry Burt served in the London Mounted Brigade Field Ambulance RAMC 533117. He died on the 22nd March 1918 and is buried in Ramleh Cemetery, Palestine.

Arthur and his two brothers are commemorated on the Richmond War Memorial.

Their father, James, died aged 87 in  the March quarter of 1937.

We currently have no further information on Arthur Edward Burt, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.