William Alfred Burton was born in Scarborough in 1886, the son of Thomas Burton, [born 1858 Scarborough], a driller in a Shipyard, and his wife Mary Ann nee Wallis, born 1861 Manchester. They were married in 1879. William was the second eldest son of eight children.
Thomas Edward born 1880 Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Priscilla Ann born 1884 Scarborough, William Alfred, Norah Elizabeth born 1887 Scarborough and Esther May born 1890 October, and baptised on the 10th December 1890, at Christ Church, Walker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. However, 4 children had died by 1911.
In 1881, William' parents were residing at 2 Mile Stone, at Walker, Thomas the eldest was born in August 1880 at this address.
In 1891 the family were residing at Walker at 50 Fisher Street, Walker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
In 1901 the family had moved to 22 Frankfurt Street, Gateshead. But on the 1901 census, William does not show! His elder brother, Thomas had passed away by this time. There were also three visitors, widowed Eleanor Laidlaw and her two children Christina and Sydney.
William's father had died by 1911, and William had married in 1910, Emily G. he was residing with his widowed mother [Mary Ann], at 94 Vine Street, Gateshead. In the same household was his sister, Priscilla married name Johnson, another sister, Norah, who married name Barnborough married less than 2 years and his other sister Esther [single], now aged 20. Norah and Esther both worked at the Haggis Rope Factory in Gateshead. William was a Stone mason.
William's service number was 8/16532, and had the rank of private. He enlisted in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in August 1914.
Wiliam's Battalion was sent to Gallipoli, on the 10th July 1915. On the 6th August the Battalion embarked on two destroyers. They disembarked under fire at 3.30 and took part in the attack on the Turkish Trenches.
He was wounded on the beach at Sulva Bay on the 7th August 1915. He was taken to the 15th British Military Hospital Egypt, Alexandria Egypt where he died of his wounds.
William's will shows his final address where his wife was residing.
8th (Service) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers diary shows : Location: Karakol Dagh. 34th Infantry Brigade of 11th (Northern) Division experienced a chaotic landing at Suvla Bay in Gallipoli. The first troops ashore during the evening of the 6th August were from the 11th Manchester Regiment, and they moved off into the hills of the Kiretche Tepe Ridge as 9th Lancashire Fusiliers, 8th (Service) Northumberland Fusiliers and 5th Dorsetshire Regiment waited in their lighters, stuck on sand banks in the bay, to join them. The final troops not disembarking until 05.00am on the 7th August.
Moving off the beachhead, 11th Manchester Regiment cleared the Turkish post at Ghazi Baba before turning north to assail the the western end of the Kiretche Tepe Ridge, known as the Karakol Dagh. Here they encountered serious opposition from the Turkish garrison occupying the position before clearing them, mostly by bayonet.
Advancing across the Karakol Gap to the main part of the Kiretche Tepe Ridge, by noon the following day the troops were around 2 miles inland
William Alfred Burton is remembered at Gateshead in G39.123
