Barton Brothers
Alfred Richard Barton
Second Lieutenant Alfred Barton, age 34
3rd Regt, South African Infantry
Killed 18 July 1916
Alfred was the eldest son of the Rev Alfred John Barton of Wanstrow, Rosebery Rd, Felixstowe, late rector of Strumpshaw, Norfolk. Mother was Alice Ethel daughter of Rev John Rushworth Piling, Alfred was born in Hoarwithy, Hereford 7 April 1882. He went to boarding school in Kirkley near Lowestoft he later took a course in agriculture and went to South Africa in 1901.
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He settled on his own farm at Zevenfontein, Transvaal and joined the Southern Mounted Rifles in 1904 attaining the rank of Lieutenant and took part in the rebellion of 1914. He then enlisted in the South African Infantry in August 1915 and deployed to Egypt in December 1915, there he saw action against the Senussi and was commissioned to 2nd Lieutenant. He was then deployed to France and was killed in action at Delville Wood on 18 July 1916, he is buried south of Delville Wood and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
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His Colonel wrote of him ‘He was last seen fighting hand to hand with the few that were left in his trench. He has fallen splendidly in a great cause, and we honour his memory amongst the many brave gallant gentlemen who were lost in that fight.’
South African Infantry
Delville Wood, The Somme
Thiepval Memorial
Hugh Fabian Barton
Second Lieutenant Hugh Barton, age 19
9th Battalion, The Norfolk Regiment
Killed 12 February 1916
Hugh Fabian Barton
Hugh was the youngest son of the Rev Alfred John and Alice Ethel Barton of Wanstrow, Rosebery Road, Felixstowe. Born in Strumpstow Rectory in Norfolk 20 Jan 1897.
On leaving school in Sept 1914 he joined the Public Schools Corps and was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant in the 9th Norfolks on 22 Sept 1914. He went to France on 8 Oct 1915. After 4 months of continuous fighting other than a week in the hospital with trench foot and 6 days leave back in Felixstowe, he was killed in action in the front line trench on the Ypres Salient NE of Ypres, on 12 Feb 1916. He was killed by shrapnel during a heavy artillery bombardment.
His Colonel wrote of him to his parents ‘Your boy was always cheery, knew no fear and was ready for any duty, however dangerous. He died a gallant death, doing his duty amongst the men of his company, who feel his loss very much.’ Another officer wrote, ‘He was desperately keen and a splendid soldier, and though so young, one could always depend on him.’ Hugh is buried at the White House Cemetery.
The Norfolk Regiment
​White House Cemetery