William Eli Burt Barham

Rank: Private

Regiment: 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards

Parents: Mr Edward & Maud Barham

Brother: H Barham

Address: 5 St Mary’s Road, Hastings

Other Info: Died from a scalp wound received in action on August 26th 1914.

According to the CWGC, William died aged 20 and is buried at the Guise (La Desolation) French National Cemetery, grave reference; Allied Sect 1154.

An article published in the Hastings & St Leonards Observer on 3rd October 1914 reads: “Mount Pleasant School has reason to be proud of one of its Old Boys, Private William Eli Burt Barham, best know as ‘Burt’, whose promising career has come to an untimely end whilst fighting in the Coldstream Guards.

Private Barham won a scholarship at Mount Pleasant School, and was popular there and as a footballer for the Junior Conservatives. He was the eldest son of Mr and Mrs Edward Henry Barham, 5 Manor Road, Hastings. He joined the Coldstream Guards at the age of 19, on the 19th January last, and his scholarly ability gained him the post of clerk to the Battalion.

He was of fine physique, and stood 6 feet high. In the action in which he sustained the fatal scalp wound from a shell, he was in the hottest part of the fight when less that 200 Coldstreams were opposed by 3,000 Germans. He succumbed on reaching the hospital at the base to which he had been taken.

Through the efforts of Mr W. Evans, his old Schoolmaster, and the accidental meeting with a wounded Coldstream who has since been staying at Bexhill, his parents have ascertained that their son was buried with full military honours, including the three volleys and the ‘Last Post’ in a separate grave, at a place just over the frontier from Belgium, in a French department of the Nord.

Over the grave is a cross made from cigarette boxes. When one of his comrades passed the grave he found that it had been covered with flowers by the French women, sine of whom he saw kneeling by the graveside.

Mr and Mrs Barham have received many letters of sympathy. It may be recalled that their son played his last football match for his old Club at Ore Valley on the Wednesday before he joined his Regiment”.

Published: September 1914 & October 1914

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