Pte
Frederick Burrows
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1898 |
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Place of birth: Armagh, County Armagh, Ireland, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: 40 Railway Street, Armagh, County Armagh, Ireland, United Kingdom |
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Profession: Worker in a flax spinning mill |
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Religion: Church of Ireland |
Army information
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Country: Ireland, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 23724 |
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Enlistment place: Lurgan, County Armagh, Ireland, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Royal Irish Fusiliers, 9th Bn. (County Armagh) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 16/08/1917 |
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Place of death: Somme - Wiesengut, Saint-Julien, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 19 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: V Row: C Grave: 19 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Frederick was born around 1898 in Armagh, Ireland. Like his father and brothers, he worked in the flax industry — already at the age of 13.
During the First World War, he served on the Western Front with the 9th Battalion (County Armagh) of the Royal Irish Fusiliers, part of the 108th Brigade within the 36th (Ulster) Division.
During the Battle of Passchendaele, on 16 August 1917, the 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers gathered in an old trench running from Pommern Redoubt — the battalion headquarters — to Iberian Farm. Their mission: to advance to the Zonnebeke–Langemark road, about 1.5 kilometres away.
Moments after advancing behind the artillery barrage, the men were held up at Hill 35. But despite sustained machine-gun fire from Somme and Gallipoli, the battalion succeeded in taking Hill 35. Meanwhile, contact was lost with the 7/8th Royal Irish Fusiliers, while the rolling barrage moved on, exposing the men to increasing German fire.
One platoon stayed behind to consolidate Hill 35, while the rest pressed on. The Fusiliers advanced until they encountered a double belt of barbed wire at Gallipoli, north of Hill 35. The wire was only breached in one or two places, forcing the men to squeeze through. German machine guns focused their fire precisely on these choke points — from dugouts in Gallipoli, Aisne Farm, and Martha House north of Hill 35, and from Hill 37 to the east, along the Zonnebeke–Langemark road. The consequences were devastating.
Further advance proved impossible. The battalion was forced to fall back and consolidated in a trench in front of Hill 35. But even there, sustained machine-gun fire from Hill 37 made the position untenable. They retreated again, this time to a trench on the southern slope of Hill 35.
That position connected with the lines of the 16th (Irish) Division on their right. But when that division too was pushed back by German counterattacks, the Fusiliers' right flank became exposed. From Iberian Farm, south of Hill 35, German machine guns opened fire on their flank. With no cover left on their right, the 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers were ultimately forced to withdraw to their original lines. The attack was a complete failure.
Frederick, barely 19 years old, was killed during the assault on Hill 35. He was initially buried in the field near Somme. After the war, he was given a final resting place at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Plot V, Row C, Grave 19.
During the First World War, he served on the Western Front with the 9th Battalion (County Armagh) of the Royal Irish Fusiliers, part of the 108th Brigade within the 36th (Ulster) Division.
During the Battle of Passchendaele, on 16 August 1917, the 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers gathered in an old trench running from Pommern Redoubt — the battalion headquarters — to Iberian Farm. Their mission: to advance to the Zonnebeke–Langemark road, about 1.5 kilometres away.
Moments after advancing behind the artillery barrage, the men were held up at Hill 35. But despite sustained machine-gun fire from Somme and Gallipoli, the battalion succeeded in taking Hill 35. Meanwhile, contact was lost with the 7/8th Royal Irish Fusiliers, while the rolling barrage moved on, exposing the men to increasing German fire.
One platoon stayed behind to consolidate Hill 35, while the rest pressed on. The Fusiliers advanced until they encountered a double belt of barbed wire at Gallipoli, north of Hill 35. The wire was only breached in one or two places, forcing the men to squeeze through. German machine guns focused their fire precisely on these choke points — from dugouts in Gallipoli, Aisne Farm, and Martha House north of Hill 35, and from Hill 37 to the east, along the Zonnebeke–Langemark road. The consequences were devastating.
Further advance proved impossible. The battalion was forced to fall back and consolidated in a trench in front of Hill 35. But even there, sustained machine-gun fire from Hill 37 made the position untenable. They retreated again, this time to a trench on the southern slope of Hill 35.
That position connected with the lines of the 16th (Irish) Division on their right. But when that division too was pushed back by German counterattacks, the Fusiliers' right flank became exposed. From Iberian Farm, south of Hill 35, German machine guns opened fire on their flank. With no cover left on their right, the 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers were ultimately forced to withdraw to their original lines. The attack was a complete failure.
Frederick, barely 19 years old, was killed during the assault on Hill 35. He was initially buried in the field near Somme. After the war, he was given a final resting place at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Plot V, Row C, Grave 19.
Sources 5
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9 Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WO 95/2505/2). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Census of Ireland 1901/1911 (The National Archives of Ireland, Dublin (NAI)). https://www.nationalarchives.ie/ Sources used |
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Cunliffe, M., Passchendaele: The Royal Irish Fusiliers : 1793-1968. (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1970) 324-327. Sources used |
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Harris, H., The Royal Irish Fusiliers (the 87th and 89th Regiments of Foot). (London, Leo Cooper, 1972) 100-103. Sources used |
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McCarthy Chris, Passchendaele: The Day-By-Day Account (Londen, Arms & Armour, 2018) 52-55. Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/462135 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=438b09c8-ea8b-4ddd-bb9d-215db7cafa61 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/625359 |