Peterborough Evening Telegraph – 8 June 1964
Veterans Invited to the Palace
Mr George Burton, of 89 Horsegate, Deeping St James, and his wife will be among the Old Contemptibles and their guests who will visit Buckingham Palace on June 26.
Mr Burton, who is 70, is at the end of his first year’s retirement. He is the holder of the Mons Star and Bar (sic) and looks back with pride on his war experiences.
Owing to local shortage of work, George decided to join the Army in 1912 and walked to Stamford to enlist in the 1st Lincs. Battalion (sic), but the recruiting list was closed. Next day he trekked to Peterborough and was successful in joining the 1st Northants. Battalion (sic).
On August 4 (sic – 13 August), 1914 the battalion was one of the first to land in France and George was in the thick of the Battle of Mons, retreating to the Marne in rearguard action, and was wounded at the Aisne on September 17, his 21st birthday.
A Ruse
A party of Germans had hoisted a white flag as a ruse, and instead of surrendering their fired at point blank range and George received a bullet through the right shoulder. He was sent down the line to Rouen and then to hospital in Glasgow.
After his return to Northampton he was transferred to the Garrison Essex Regiment (sic) for light duties and was sent to Gallipoli until the evacuation when he continued service in Egypt.
After a year, when he was at Khartoum, he was declared fit and transferred to the 1st/4th Northants. Battalion.
Home Again
On his return home he worked for five years on the old L.M.S. Railway, followed by several years as a “brickie” with two Peterborough firms. For eight years he was a labourer at Peter Brotherhood Ltd., Peterborough. Finally, he was quarryman at Dow-Mac at Tallington until his retirement.
George has always been interested in sport and played left half for the old Deeping Athletic F.C.
Also going to the Palace will be Deeping St James’s only other surviving Old Contemptible, Mr E. York, and his wife.
Old Contemptibles' Association Scrap Book 