Ernest Wilfred Eccles BURTON

BURTON, Ernest Wilfred Eccles

Service Number: 128
Enlisted: 18 August 1914, Sydney, New South Wales
Last Rank: Lieutenant
Last Unit: Australian Flying Corps (AFC)
Born: Auckland, New Zealand, 16 November 1892
Home Town: Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Clerk/Solicitor
Died: Accidental (mid-air collision), Montrose, Scotland, 4 April 1918, aged 25 years
Cemetery: Montrose (Sleepyhillock) Cemetery, Scotland
Grave A7. 36. UnitedPersonal Inscription FOR HERE WE HAVE NO CONTINUING CITY BUT WE SEEK ONE TO COME
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
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World War 1 Service

18 Aug 1914: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 128, Sydney, New South Wales
20 Aug 1914: Involvement AIF WW1, Sapper, 128, 1st Divisional Signal Company, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, HMAT Karroo, Melbourne
20 Oct 1914: Embarked AIF WW1, Sapper, 128, 1st Divisional Signal Company,

--- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '6' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Karroo embarkation_ship_number: A10 public_note: ''

25 Apr 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Sapper, 128, 1st Divisional Signal Company, ANZAC / Gallipoli
15 May 1917: Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 1st Divisional Signal Company
5 Jun 1917: Transferred AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 2nd Infantry Battalion
28 Nov 1917: Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 2nd Infantry Battalion
13 Mar 1918: Transferred Lieutenant, Australian Flying Corps (AFC)
4 Apr 1918: Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, Australian Flying Corps (AFC), AFC / RFC operations Western Front / Middle East, Training Accident :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: awm_unit: Australian Flying Corps awm_rank: Lieutenant awm_died_date: 1918-04-04

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Biography contributed by Evan Evans

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK

Died on this date - 4th April........Ernest Wilfred Burton was born in Auckland, New Zealand in 1892. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 18th August, 1914 as a 21 year old, single, Clerk from 46 Arthur St, Lavender Bay, NSW. He was posted to 1st Divisional Signal Company with the rank of Sapper.

Sapper Ernest Wilfred Burton proceeded to join M.E.F. (Mediterranean Expeditionary Force) at Gallipoli on 5th April, 1915. He was hospitalised at Lemnos with Chronic synovitis neck on 18th September, 1915 & rejoined his Unit at Anzac on 13th December, 1915.

Sapper Burton was promoted to Corporal on 1st March, 1916 & arrived in France on 28th March, 1916. He was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant on 15th May, 1917.

2nd Lieutenant Ernest Wilfred Burton was detached for duty with A.F.C. (Australian Flying Corps) & proceeded to England & seconded for training on 29th August, 1917. 2nd Lieutenant Ernest Wilfred Burton proceeded from Boulogne to England on duty on 30th August, 1917.

2nd Lieutenant Ernest Wilfred Burton transferred to Royal Flying Corps. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 25th November, 1917.
On 13th March, 1918 Lieutenant Ernest Wilfred Burton having graduated was appointed Flying Officer (Pilot) & was transferred to A.F.C. (Australian Flying Corps).

Lieutenant Ernest Wilfred Burton, of Australian Flying Corps was piloting a Sopwith Pup B. 7529 at Montrose, Scotland when it collided in the air with Sopwith Camel B. 7338. On the morning of the accident, two pilots in Pups (Lieut. E. W. Burton and 2nd Lieut. G. Gledhill, Royal Field Artillery and R.A.F.) were to follow 2nd Lieut. A. A. Payne in the Camel, who was to dip his wings to indicate the direction in which he was turning. The formation carried out one successful turn to the left before the Camel collided with the right wings of Lieut. Burton’s Pup.

Lieutenant Ernest Wilfred Burton was killed in an aeroplane collision on 4th April, 1918 at Montrose, Scotland. 2nd Lieutenant Arthur Arnold Payne also died in the collision on 4th April, 1918.
Lieutenant Ernest Wilfred Burton was buried in Sleepyhillock Cemetery, Montrose, Scotland where 2 other Australians are buried.
(The above is a summary only. My full research on Lieutenant Burton can be found by following the link)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/montrose.html

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