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Corps H.Qrs.Australian Headquarters

He was 26 and the son of Albert and Henrietta Mary Burt, of 21, Market St., Lichfield, England.

Births Sep 1893   Burt Albert Gordon Lichfield 6b 484

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

Died on this date – 4th September…… Albert Gordon Burt was born at Lichfield, Staffordshire, England in 1893.

According to information provided by his mother for the Roll of Honour – Albert Burt came to Australia when he was 18 years old.

Albert Gordon Burt enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 7th August, 1915 in Melbourne, Victoria as a 22 year old, single, State School Teacher.
Private Albert Gordon Burt embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on HMAT Katuna (A13) on 9th March, 1916 with the 4th Light Horse Regiment, 15th Reinforcements. He joined the Light Horse Training Regiment at Tel-el-Kebir from 16th April, 1916.

Private Albert Gordon Burt proceeded to Duty in Egypt from Hospital on 19th April, 1916. He was transferred to 4th Division Cyclists on 27th April, 1916 & was promoted Corporal with 4th Division Cyclists on 27th April, 1916.

Corporal Burt embarked from Alexandria on 2nd June, 1916 on Troopship Kinfauns Castle to join B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force). He disembarked at Marseilles, France on 8th June, 1916.

Corporal Albert Gordon Burt was promoted to Sergeant on 9th July, 1916 while posted in France with 4th Cyclists.

Sergeant Burt was transferred to 1st Anzac Cycle Battalion on 9th July, 1916 then transferred to 13th Brigade – 52nd Battalion on 14th October, 1916. He was transferred from 52nd Battalion to 1st Anzac Intelligence Dept on 21st October, 1916.

Sergeant Burt was attached to 1st Anzac Headquarters as Intelligence Police on 20th February, 1917 in France.

Sergeant Albert Gordon Burt was accidentally injured. He had contusions & lacerated wounds to head & a sprained ankle. An Inquiry was held on 19th August, 1917 with the date of the injury being 19th August, 1917 & occurring between Hazebrouck & Morbecque. The nature of his duty was “finding a motor cycle under orders of C.O. – Riding a motor cycle conveying important message from 1st Anzac Headquarters to 1st Anzac Cyclist Battalion.” The Inquiry found that Sergeant Burt was not to blame.

Sergeant Burt was admitted to New Zealand Stationary Hospital at Hazebrouck on 20th August, 1917 with abrasions to Head, elbow, & sprained ankle. Sergeant Burt was transferred to 7th Canadian Stationary Hospital in France on 20th August, 1917. He was discharged to duty from 7th Canadian Stationary Hospital on 18th September, 1917.
Sergeant Burt was sent sick to 3rd Australian Field Ambulance on 6th November, 1917 with an injury to a finger on his right hand. He was transferred & admitted to Hospital in France on 7th November, 1917 then transferred to England on Hospital Ship where he was admitted to 1st Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge, England on 10th November, 1917 with an injury to his finger (slight). He was discharged to furlo from 21st December, 1917 & was then to report to No. 4 Command Depot at Hurdcott, Wiltshire, England on 4th January, 1918.

Sergeant Burt proceeded overseas to France via Southampton on 17th January, 1918 from Overseas Training Brigade at Longbridge Deverill, Wiltshire, England. He rejoined Intelligence Unit in France on 25th January, 1918.

Sergeant Burt was admitted to 2nd Australian Field Ambulance on 26th August, 1918 with Dysentery. He was transferred to Hospital at Rouen on 2nd September, 1917 then transferred to 2nd Convalescent Depot on 11th September, 1918. Sergeant Burt was admitted to 6th General Hospital at Rouen, France on 16th September, 1918 with a sprained ankle due to an accident. He was discharged from 52nd Stationary Hospital to Base Depot on 28th September, 1918.

Sergeant Burt was on leave to UK from 22nd October, 1918. He rejoined his Unit from leave on 10th November, 1918.

Sergeant Burt was admitted to 2nd Australian Field Ambulance on 23rd January, 1919 with Debility. He was transferred to Hospital in France on 4th February, 1919 then transferred to England on Hospital Ship on 13th February, 1919 with Neurasthenia and Debility. Sergeant Burt was admitted to St. Dunstan’s Hospital at Fulham England on 13th February, 1919. He was transferred & admitted to 3rd Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford, England on 12th March, 1919 & discharged & granted furlo from 12th April, 1919. He was then to report to 2nd Training Battalion at Codford on 26th April, 1919.

Sergeant Burt had his leave extended from 26th April, 1919 to 3rd May, 1919. He was reported as Absent without Leave from 3rd May, 1919.

Sergeant Burt was granted Leave from 3rd June, 1919 to 2nd October, 1919 without pay. Reason – Family. He was admitted to 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford, England on 9th July, 1919 with Influenza while on Leave. He was transferred to Australian Corps Headquarters from 10th July, 1919.

Sergeant Albert Gordon Burt was to be returned to Australia from London, England on Troopship Kanowna on 28th August, 1919.

Sergeant Albert Gordon Burt was lost overboard from H.M.A.T. Kanowna while at Sea on 4th September, 1919. He was found missing by a Court of Inquiry held on 5th September, 1919.

The Finding was that he had “fallen overboard, whether accidentally or intentionally it is impossible to determine…”

According to information supplied by his mother for the Roll of Honour – Sergeant Albert Gordon Burt “was badly injured in an accident while serving in France from which he never fully recovered his mental power.”

Sergeant Albert Gordon Burt is commemorated on the Hollybrook Memorial, Southampton, Hampshire, England as he has no grave. His death is 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/-a---b.html

Albert was born in 1893 in Lichfield, England. At the time of his birth his father, Albert, was 29, and his mother, Henrietta Mary (née Ward), was 26. Albert would have one brother, Frank Elliot, and two sisters, Elizabeth Maud (from Albert’s first wife who died in 1889) and Enid Mary. 

Albert was educated at Aston Grammar School, Warwickshire and at King Edward’s Grammar School at Stratford-on-Avon. He gained his Senior Oxford Certificate and went as junior master to Kimbolton College. With the idea of undertaking church mission work he came to Australia in 1911. However, he joined the teaching service in March 1913, and was appointed temporary head teacher at School No. 1746, Benambra. In Juy of the same year he was transferred to No. 1460 Swift’s Creek; in September to No. 2086 Walwa; and in January, 1914, to No. 3647 Mount Alfred. He was described as being bright and enthusiastic.

On 7 August 1915, Albert enlisted in the 1st AIF in Melbourne Victoria. He was given the Regimental Number 2159 and was put on strength with the 15th Reinforcements of the 4th Light Horse Regiment. 

Upon enlistment, Albert was 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm) and weighed 164 lbs (61 kg). His complexion was fresh, his eyes grey, and his hair fair. Albert’s records show that he had four vaccination marks on his left arm, a scar on his left shin, and a mole on his left thigh. Albert’s religious denomination was given as the Church of England. Albert had some previous militia service in that he had been a member of the Walwa Rifle Club for two years.

Albert embarked on 9 March 1916, on the HMAT A13 Katuna sailing from Melbourne. The trip would take him across the Great Australian Bight to Fremantle, on to Colombo, in Ceylon, before finally disembarking at Suez, at the southern end of the Suez Canal. 

Upon arriving in Egypt, Albert was initially taken on strength with the 1st Light Horse Regiment at Tel-el-Kebir. Two weeks later he was promoted to Corporal and transferred to the 4th Division Cyclist Company, stationed at Serapeum.  

In early June of 1916, Albert embarked on a troopship at Alexandria and sailed to Marseilles in the south of France. On 9 July 1916, he was promoted to Sergeant and taken on strength with the 1st ANZAC Cyclist Battalion in France.  

A further transfer in October of that year saw Albert detached for duty with 1st Anzac Headquarters Intelligence Police. It was while with this unit that Albert sustained injuries (contusion and lacerated wound to the head and a sprained ankle) on a motorbike whilst carrying an important message. The Court of Inquiry held soon after the accident found that Albert was not to blame. 

Albert spent two more periods in hospital as a result of illness and injury, one of which required him to be sent to England for treatment. The other resulted in a long line of transfers, initially from the 2nd Australian Field Ambulance then to the 12th Casualty Clearing Station, and finally the 25th Stationary Hospital in Rouen, France.

On 12 March 1919, Albert was in hospital being treated for neurasthenia. This is a condition that is characterised especially by physical and mental exhaustion usually with accompanying symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, and irritability, and is believed to result from psychological factors such as depression or emotional stress, or conflict.

Albert was granted extended leave on 3 June to allow him to visit his family living in Lichfield in Staffordshire, England. It’s unfortunate that his records indicate that during this period he was hospitalised with influenza and may not have been able to spend a great deal of time seeing his family. 

On 28 August 1919, Albert embarked from England to return to Australia. Unfortunately, tragedy struck on 4 September 1919, when he was reported lost at sea while returning to Australia on board the HMAT A61 Kanowna. The boat was seven days from England when the fatality occurred. Records state that Albert drowned. 

Albert’s disappearance went to Court where numerous witnesses made statements. These included:

"Sister Donaldson M.B being duly sworn states:

I was night sister in charge of “G” Ward on the night 3-4 September in which Sergergent Burt was a patient. About 1.30 am, the Orderly reported to me that Sgt. Burt was missing. I had previously seen him in bed at 1 am. Before midnight, Sgt. Burt was very restless and had frequently got out of his bed and complained of being hungry. After being given some food he went back to bed and seemed perfectly quiet and normal. His previous conduct and manner did not lead me to believe he required special watching or at any time contemplated doing anything unusual. “

2nd Witness - Sgt. Elliot states:

“I am Ward Master for this ship and my tour of duty starts at 8 pm and finishes at 7 am. At 1.15 and 1.30 in the morning of the 4th September I discovered that Sgt. Burt was missing from his cot. I had previously seen him at midnight, when I gave him some supper, he was then in his cot. 

During the night in question, I had seen Sgt. Burt on deck after 10 pm and had ordered him below as it was after ‘Lights Out’. From my own observations I had no reason to believe that Sgt. Burt contemplated suicide or anything of the sort. Immediately I missed Sgt. Burt I reported to Sister Donaldson and a search was made over the ship.”

3rd Witness - Pte during duty states:

“I am a Night Nursing Warden in the “G” Ward. On the night of the 3-4 September at about 1.15 am, I missed Sgt. Burt from his cot and reported the manner to Sgt. Elliot. Previously at about 1.05 am I had seen Sgt. Burt lying down in his cot. He was quiet. 

Whilst attending to a patient I had seen Sgt. Burt leave his cot at 10.30 pm and again at 12.45 am and on each occasion I followed him up and brought him down.”

4th Witness - Pte Tellon S.G being duly sworn states:

“I am a Patient in the General Hospital on the main deck. About 12.45 am on the night 3-4 September I helped Pte Haynes to bring down Sgt. Burt from the deck, and saw him get into his cot.”

5th Witness - Captain Wilton A.C being duly sworn states:

 “I am M.O in charge of “G” Ward. Sgt. Burt who was a patient in “G” Ward was suffering from debility following Influenza, in which the most marked feature was mental dullness. I was of the opinion that he was very susceptible to suggestion and his treatment was based on these lines. I had no reason to suspect suicidal tendencies.”

6th Witness - Major Frase A.C being sworn duly states:

“I am Senior Medical Officer on the H.M.A.T Kanowna. I examined Sgt. Burt on the afternoon of the 3rd September and diagnosed his condition as encephalitis following influenza, the chief measures being physical and mental slowness. At my examination he did not make any statement suggesting that he intended to take his life. He complained that he was unable to walk, but he walked out of my office slowly and clumsily. In my opinion it is quite possible that he made his way to the deck and tripped over some obstacle and fell overboard.”

7th Witness - Captain Landan G.F.S being duly sworn states:

“I am M.O in charge of Wards “H” and “E” . Sgt. Burt was a patient under me for over two months at No 3 A.A.H., Dartford. He was suffering from Debility after Influenza, he was very slow mentally and obsessed with the idea that he was becoming weaker. Under treatment he improved to some extent and never gave any authentic reason to suggest suicidal tendencies. 

In regard to para 30 of A.F. B. 179 the “constant attendance of another person”, I took to mean he required company to prevent morbid introspection as far as possible.” 

The Court having duly considered the evidence finds that:

An exhaustive search has been made without any trace being found and we are of the opinion that he fell overboard, whether accidentally or intentionally it is impossible to determine. In virtue of his complaint, it is possible that in walking along the deck he stumbled and so fell overboard.
There is no blame attached to anyone and the staff were alert and at their posts." 

Albert is remembered on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France), the Hollybrook Memorial, Southampton, England and the King Edwards Grammar School WW 1 Roll of Honour, Stratford-on-Avon, England. For his service during the First World War, he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.