From the Commonwealth War Graves Commission–s Website.
In Memory of
Lance Corporal JACK BURTON
6407202, 2nd Bn., Hampshire Regiment
who died age 31
on 06 February 1944
Son of Henry and Gertrude Burton; husband of Phyllis Margery Burton,London.
Remembered with honour
MINTURNO WAR CEMETERY
"Burton, Jack"; once again, that′s all it says on the Hooe Memorial, so I immediately got onto the website of the "Commonwealth War Graves Commission" (CWGC) and did, indeed, find a Jack Burton - in fact the only one, but he was with the Hampshire Regiment and I couldn′t see any connection with Hooe or even Sussex. I realised that "Jack" could be a short form for John but, equally, all the Johns I found gave me no reason to think that I had found the right one.
Then, one day, when visiting the Lewes Record Office, I looked through some papers relating to the memorial in Hooe Church and came across correspondence concerning requests for the addition of names to the memorial - and the problem was solved.
[I have added this correspondence (for those who might be interested), as a "PDF" file, in the section headed, "The War memorial – 1939–1945", under the sub-heading "Correspondence" (what else!?)].
What the first letter told me was that Jack Burton was a Lance-Corporal, No. 64072002, in the 2nd Battalion of "The Hampshire Regiment"; it also stated that he died of wounds, in Italy, on 6th February 1944.
Going back to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission′s website, I now knew that the Jack Burton I had found was the right one.
The details given there include his age, 31 (so, he was born in 1913), his parents (Henry and Gertrude Burton), and his wife, Phyllis Margery Burton; it also confirms his rank as Lance Corporal, and gives his grave/memorial reference, in the "Minturno War Cemetery", in Italy, as "III, F, 24".
The Action in the War
The following description of the action, in and around Minturno, comes from the "CWGC" website.
"On 3 September 1943 the Allies invaded the Italian mainland, the invasion coinciding with an armistice made with the Italians who then re-entered the war on the Allied side. Allied objectives were to draw German troops from the Russian front and more particularly from France, where an offensive was planned for the following year. Progress through southern Italy was rapid despite stiff resistance, but by the end of October, the Allies were facing the German winter defensive position known as the Gustav Line, which stretched from the river Garigliano in the west to the Sangro in the east. Initial attempts to breach the western end of the line were unsuccessful and it was not until 17 January 1944 that the Garigliano was crossed, and Minturno taken two days later. The site for the cemetery was chosen in January 1944, but the Allies then lost some ground and the site came under German small-arms fire. The cemetery could not be used again until May 1944 when the Allies launched their final advance on Rome and the US 85th and 88th Divisions were in this sector. The burials are mainly those of the heavy casualties incurred in crossing the Garigliano in January. Minturno War Cemetery contains 2,049 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War."
Jack was killed on the 6th February, roughly three weeks after Minturno was taken, so how was he killed, if not in the attack? It says that "the site came under German small-arms fire. The cemetery could not be used again until May". Was he killed when the Germans re-took the site? If so, they may have been able to bury him then, though it′s difficult to imagine them doing so when they were under fire. We still have a mystery but perhaps, in time, we can find out the facts about the situation.
The following is how, on the 4th March 1944, the "Bexhill Observer" reported Jack's death.
"Hooe Soldier's Death£quot;
"Many friends, both in Bexhill and in Hooe, will regret to hear of the death, which has occurred on service overseas as a result of wounds, of Corporal Jack Burton, of the Hampshire Regiment."
"Aged 31, he was the third son of Mr Henry Burton and the late Mrs Burton of 55, Westwood Road, Bexhill. He was married in 1935 to Miss Phyllis Collins, the daughter of Mr and Mrs John Collins of High House, Hooe, and resided at 1, Mount Pleasant, Hooe, until he joined the Army in July 1940. His wife, who is at present living in Rugby, has received a letter of sympathy from a chaplain to the Regiment, "you may always be proud of your man," he writes, "who died like a brave soldier among his comrades."
"I buried him in a little English cemetery in beautiful country among the hills. A simple wooden cross is placed on his grave."
"Mr H. Ronald Phelps, managing director of Sand hall, and Sidley Farms, Ltd, where Corporal Burton was employed as a roundsman for many years, also wrote highly of him."
"Of his character," he said, "I cannot speak too highly; his strict devotion to duty and his loyalty warranted in every way the trust and confidence which was always my pleasure to place with him."
"His loss will be felt by many and not least by his colleagues of my staff with whom his cheerful countenance and ready smile earned for Jack the esteem of us all."
"Besides the widow he leaves a five-year-old daughter."
There's a picture of Jack Burton in the newspaper, alongside the article, but, like all old newspaper pictures, the definition is dreadful, I decided not to include it because, I felt, he wouldn't have been recognisable; it wouldn't have done him justice
At least, and at last, we do know something about Jack, now – he′s not just a name on a tablet. It would be interesting to search for more details of his parents, siblings (if any), where they all lived, and what they did for a living. At least, however, we know who he married, where he worked, and who his parents were - and I hope no one, no relative or descendent, is offended by what I′ve written. I'd like to find out more of this man who gave his life at the young age of 31 and, perhaps, one day I will.
From correspondence, in the Lewes record Office, it would seem that there were problems in getting the names of Ernest Stubberfield, Raymond Martin, and Jack Burton added to the memorial. The correspondence ends with the matter seeming to have been settled in that the names would not be added but, they were, and there is no record as to how or why the decision was made to add them
To read the full correspondence between the parties, concerning Ernie Stubberfield, Jack Burton, and James Martin (or at least, as much as I found at the Lewes Record Office), please click here."Correspondence"
