Samuel John Burges was born in Dublin in 1883, the son of Samuel William Perry Burges, a Dunstable man working in Ireland as a Stud Superintendent and Agnes Burges (nee Turnbull).

In the late 1880s the family returned to England and lived in Kent before moving back to Bedfordshire where Samuel Senior looked after the Woburn Stud for the Duke of Bedford.

After leaving Dunstable Grammar School, Samuel worked as a Commercial Clerk in London where he boarded in Hackney for more than 10 years with the Bristow family.

Samuel married Clara Eliza Neal at Edmonton on 18 January 1913, making their home at Stamford Hill, London.

Samuel enlisted in 1914 at Hackney Baths as Private 128525 with the Royal Garrison Artillery and later transferred to the 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers as Private 52050.

During 1916 and 1917 as a unit of the 86th Brigade, 29th Division, the 1st Battalion experienced heavy fighting, participating in many of the major battles.

In April 1918 the Battalion were ordered to move from Brandhoek, Belgium and take up positions at Vieux Berquin, just inside the French border.

On 11 April the "Battle of Vieux Berquin" began with the Battalion receiving orders to advance which they did so against heavy machine gun and rifle fire. The situation became very confused, attack was followed by enemy counter attack, orders to retire to defensive positions was followed by orders to advance.

Attrition was acute over the three days of fighting. The Battalion lost 9 of 11 officers and more than 400 other ranks killed, wounded or missing. Ultimately more than 200 men including Samuel were unaccounted for and posted as missing presumed killed in the action.

Robin Marriott