PRIVATE FREDERICK GEORGE BURT
Died 14th May 1918
No. 60059 (or 31050) of the 101st Labour Corps.
Born: Woburn Sands, 29th November 1894
Resided: Woburn Sands
Enlisted: Bletchley
Frederick was the son of James, a drayman and Elizabeth. Elizabeth had been killed by a lodger, George Jeffrey, in January 1899, which left James to bring up seven children, the youngest of which were twins. Jeffery committed suicide immediately after his crime. He left a note, claiming to have been involved with Mrs Burt, and asked that his pocket watch be given to “…little F. Burt”. The parish magazine for St. Michaels refers to the tragedy, and that arrangements were being made to find suitable homes for three of the motherless children. It is possible that they were sent to Canada. (See James Burt)
Frederick worked at the Fullers Earth Works as a miner on Aspley Heath before signing up, and was one of four of the family in the armed forces. He was 20 years and 11 months old when he enlisted, unmarried, and was 5′ 6”. He was noted as having part of three fingers missing from his right hand. He gave his next of kin as Charles William Burt, his brother, of 7 Cambridge Street, Bletchley. He was firstly with the Royal Berkshire Regiment, No. 25212, but attached to the Suffolk Light Infantry. He also spent time in the Royal Fusileers from 10th April 1916.
Frederick married Sarah Jane Bottoms, (the daughter of George, a local labourer, of “Brackenside”, Aspley Heath) whilst on leave, on 10th November 1917, at St. Michaels. They had a house in Hardwick Road.
According to his army medical papers, Frederick had an attack of boils on his left arm in 1916, and developed scabies in 1917. He died of injuries from a gas shell on the 13th of May, in Lakeside Hospital, an American Field Hospital, aged 23, and is buried at St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, France. Listed on the Woburn Sands Memorial. His army record survives at the PRO.
Page last updated Jan. 2019.