William lived at No. 18 Church St, Dudley, the son of Mr David Burns. He was an old boy of the Baylies’ School, Tower St. Killed in action on 6th October 1916, aged 21, his name appears on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.

The report of his death in the Dudley Herald tells us that he volunteered in November 1914 and fought at Gallipoli with the 9th Worcesters. Invalided home, he spent three months in hospital and thankfully was able to enjoy 10 days leave before going to France and joining the 3rd Bn.

A letter to his parents from the Battalion’s chaplain advised that he had been killed by shellfire whilst in the trenches; they were told that “he was buried in the little cemetery, a handsome wooden cross being erected over his grave which will always be carefully looked after”. Alas, that pious hope was not realised, as the little cemetery was either lost or destroyed during the latter two years of the war.

At the time of his death the 3rd Worcesters were holding front-line trenches to the North-East of Thiepval. Unfortunately for historians, the adjutant if the 3rd Worcesters who was responsible for compiling the Battalion War Diary in July 1916 was of the taciturn school: the entry for 6th October 1916 simply states “Bn in trenches”; one would not know that on that day five men were killed, 14 wounded and a further five missing as recorded in the monthly casualty return.

William is remembered in Dudley on the civic war memorial in Priory St, and also at St James, Eve Hill.

Source: This story is based on his entry in the book “Dudley’s 1914-1918 War Memorial and the Men commemorated – 2nd Revised & Expanded Edition” by J. B. E. Hale.