BURTON, Caleb James
| Service Number: | 2078 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 4th Pioneer Battalion |
| Born: | Wigan, Lancashire, England, 1878 |
| Home Town: | Kangaroo Point, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Bronchial pneumonia, No. 5 Section, Reading War Hospital, Reading, Berkshire, England , 3 October 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
Reading Cemetery, England |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Avondale Honour Roll, Tegege Hall Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 1 May 1916: | Involvement Private, 2078, 4th Pioneer Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Clan McGillivray embarkation_ship_number: A46 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 May 1916: | Embarked Private, 2078, 4th Pioneer Battalion, HMAT Clan McGillivray, Brisbane | |
| 3 Oct 1916: | Involvement Corporal, 2078, 4th Pioneer Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2078 awm_unit: 4th Australian Pioneer Battalion awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1916-10-03 |
Help us honour Caleb James Burton's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Died on this date – 3rd October…… Caleb James Burton was born at Wigan, Lancashire, England in 1878.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 2nd February, 1916 stating he was a 27* year old, single, Labourer from Avondale, N.C.R., Queensland. (*A copy of one of the Attestation Papers has a correction to Caleb Burton’s age – 27 years & 9 months altered to 36 years & 9 months).
Private Caleb James Burton, Service number 2078, embarked from Brisbane, Queensland on HMAT Clan McGillivray (A46) on 1st May, 1916 with the 4th Pioneer Battalion, 3rd Reinforcements.
On 8th August, 1916 Private Burton embarked for Marseilles, France from Alexandria.
He was appointed Acting Corporal from 19th August, 1916 & was to draw extra duty pay while posted at Perham Downs, Wiltshire, England.
Acting Corporal Burton was taken on strength of Pioneer Training Battalion in England on 21st August, 1916. He had been encamped at Coley Recreation Ground.
On 2nd October, 1916 Acting Corporal Burton was admitted to Reading War Hospital, Reading, Berkshire, England seriously ill suffering from Pneumonia & Bronchial Asthma.
Corporal Caleb James Burton died on 3rd October, 1916 at No. 5 Section, Reading War Hospital, Reading, Berkshire, England from Bronchial Pneumonia.
He was buried in South East Cemetery, Reading, Berkshire, England.
A letter was sent to Mr W. A. Roberts, of Norman Avenue, Norman Park, Sth Brisbane, Queensland, in April, 1920 from Base Records which reads “With reference to my communication of 11th January, 1918 regarding the regrettable loss of your step-brother the late No. 2078 Private C. J. Burton, 4th Pioneer Battalion, I am now in receipt of further advice which shows that his remains have been exhumed from former site and re-interred in Grave No. 16609, division 72, Reading Cemetery, Reading. This work is carried out with every measure of care and reverence in the presence of a Chaplain…”
Corporal Caleb James Burton was buried in Reading Cemetery, Berkshire – Memorial reference: Screen Wall. 72. 16609.
Those buried in Plot 72 & buried in other parts of the cemetery that do not have headstones marking their graves are named on the Memorial Screen Wall located near the Cross of Sacrifice. Their deaths are still acknowledged by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/reading.html
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