Thomas Albert Burton
Date of birth: 1890
Date of death: 29.12.1916
Area: Normanton
Regiment: Royal Army Medical Corps
Family information: Husband of Rachel nee Ratcliffe
Rank: Private
Service number: 9076
War Service
Thomas Albert enlisted into the army at Pontefract with the rank of Private in the 4th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps. His military service history gives his name as “Albert”, indicating that he used his second forename instead of Thomas.
The medal card index record for Thomas Albert states “entered 27.08.1914”. This date usually is when the soldier arrived in France but in Thomas Albert’s case this is unclear. Perhaps Thomas Albert was on leave or recovering from injury when, towards the end of 1915, he married Rachel E. Ratcliffe. They were to have only a short time together and indeed this short period after their marriage may well have been the last time they were to see each other.
Whilst serving in France Thomas Albert, aged 26, lost his life on 29 December 1916 while trying to save others. Thomas Albert died a little over twelve months after his marriage to Rachel. Rachel was living with her parents at 105, Church Road, Altofts when she received the sad news of her husband’s death at the start of the New Year, 1917.
Thomas Albert lies in the Guillemont Road Cemetery, Guillemont. The United Kingdom Commonwealth War Graves notice of Thomas Albert’s death states:
“BURTON, Pte. Albert, 9076. 4th Field Amb. Royal Army Medical Corps. Killed in action 29th Dec. 1916. Son of Israel and Elizabeth Burton, of Station Rd, Aldridge, Walsall; husband of Rachel E. Burton, of 105, Church Rd., Altofts, Normanton, Yorks.”
This cemetery was started by fighting units, (mainly of the Guards Division) and field ambulances after the Battle of Guillemont and closed in March 1917. It was then greatly increased after the Armistice when graves (almost all of men lost July – September 1916) were brought in from the battlefields immediately surrounding the village.
Family Life
Thomas Albert was born in Aldridge, Staffordshire in 1890, the son of Israel and Elizabeth Burton, who continued to live in Aldridge.
It is unclear when Thomas Albert moved to Yorkshire but in 1911 he lived with his older brother Israel and his wife Olive at 52, Foxholes Lane, Altofts. At this time both Thomas Albert and Israel worked as hewers in the local mine.
