2nd Lt
David Chalmers Burns
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 12/10/1898 |
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Place of birth: Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile |
General information
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Last known residence: "Birch Lodge", 21 Copse Hill, Wimbledon, Surrey, England, United Kingdom |
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Profession: High School Student |
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Religion: Roman Catholic |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Second Lieutenant |
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Enlistment date: 12/10/1916 |
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Units: — Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), 8th. Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 30/09/1918 |
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Place of death: Slip Wood, Moorslede, 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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Slypskapelle Plot Of Honour Plot: / Row: / Grave: / |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal — 29/11/1921 |
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Victory Medal Medal — 29/11/1921 |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
David Chalmer Burns was born on 12 October 1898 in the city of Valparaíso in the Republic of Chile. His father, a Scotsman born in the parish of Craig, Angus, then worked as a shipyard manager in Valparaíso, Chile's largest port. When the Great War broke out, the family had already moved back to the United Kingdom, as David's father went to work as a bank manager at the London branch of the Banco De Chile. The Burns family now lived at 21 Copse Hill in Wimbledon. David Chalmer Burns joined the army in 1918. After his officer training, he served as a Second Lieutenant in the 8th Battalion Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), part of the 26th Brigade, of the 9th (Scottish) Division.
On 28 September 1918, the 9th (Scottish) Division took part in the Flanders Offensive, a phase of the last Allied offensive. The division was part of the Army Group Flanders, an international military formation under the titular command of Albert I, King of the Belgians. Its task was to liberate Belgium. On 28 September, the 9th Scottish Division advanced at , 5h30. The men left their positions between Potyze and Hell Fire Corner, directly east of Ypres, behind a creeping barrage. The Belgian 8th Division was on their left and the British 29th Division on their right. All objectives were captured and at the end of the day the 9th (Scottish) Division took up positions on the Broodseinde ridge. Their line ran from the village of Beselare to the hamlet of Broodseinde. The day had been a success. The villages of Zonnebeke, Beselare and the hamlet of Broodseinde had been liberated by the Scots. By comparison, in 1917, during the Third Battle of Ypres, it took the Allies more than two months to capture the same ridge. They continued the advance on the 29th. The Belgians on the left encountered fierce German resistance from the village of Moorslede. Therefore, the 8th Black Watch, with the rest of the 26th brigade, was ordered to pull slightly north to assist the Belgians. With the support of the 26th Brigade, the advance continued. At 6pm the order was received that a halt would be made for the night on the line held in that ran roughly from west of the hamlet of Sint-Pieters via the hamlet of Slypskapelle to Dadizele, in front of the Menin - Roulers road. Battalion headquarters was established in a pillbox north of Slypskapelle. Meanwhile, Army Group Flanders had broken through four German defence lines in just two days. The last was Flandern II, a heavily fortified line that ran in front of and on top of the Mid-West Flemish ridge. Army Group Flanders was now in front of Flandern I. This defensive line was thought to be neglected and barely occupied. Allied command believed that German resistance would crumble after the fall of Flandern II. The men would soon discover that this was not the case at all.
The next day, an attempt was made to advance on Flandern I, along the Menin - Roulers road. The 8th Black Watch was ordered to penetrate Slip Wood, just east of Slypskapelle. But the attack without a protective barrage, was soon repulsed by determined German resistance. Because of unexpectedly heavy resistance, Slip Wood was evacuated. The battalion suffered heavy losses from machine-gun fire and was eventually forced to withdraw to their original line. Second Lieutenant David Chalmer Burns, only 19 years old, was killed in action on 30 September 1918 at Slip Wood. According to his company commander, he was hit by a bullet, probably from a German machine gun, while leading his men towards Flandern I. Second Lieutenant David Chalmer Burns was buried by his comrades at Slip Wood.
After the war, the remains of three soldiers were buried in Slip Wood. All three were reburied in Slypskapelle churchyard. A little later, the British Army ordered the exhumation of these soldiers' remains from the churchyard, as they wanted to rebury all fallen soldiers in military cemeteries in the region. However, David's parents objected to the removal of their son and as prominent Roman Catholics, they wanted him to remain near the Catholic church in Slypskapelle. They paid for a stone in the shape of a Celtic cross and it was agreed that Second Lieutenant David Chalmer Burns could remain on the specially constructed field of honour at Slypskapelle, where he still rests today.
On 28 September 1918, the 9th (Scottish) Division took part in the Flanders Offensive, a phase of the last Allied offensive. The division was part of the Army Group Flanders, an international military formation under the titular command of Albert I, King of the Belgians. Its task was to liberate Belgium. On 28 September, the 9th Scottish Division advanced at , 5h30. The men left their positions between Potyze and Hell Fire Corner, directly east of Ypres, behind a creeping barrage. The Belgian 8th Division was on their left and the British 29th Division on their right. All objectives were captured and at the end of the day the 9th (Scottish) Division took up positions on the Broodseinde ridge. Their line ran from the village of Beselare to the hamlet of Broodseinde. The day had been a success. The villages of Zonnebeke, Beselare and the hamlet of Broodseinde had been liberated by the Scots. By comparison, in 1917, during the Third Battle of Ypres, it took the Allies more than two months to capture the same ridge. They continued the advance on the 29th. The Belgians on the left encountered fierce German resistance from the village of Moorslede. Therefore, the 8th Black Watch, with the rest of the 26th brigade, was ordered to pull slightly north to assist the Belgians. With the support of the 26th Brigade, the advance continued. At 6pm the order was received that a halt would be made for the night on the line held in that ran roughly from west of the hamlet of Sint-Pieters via the hamlet of Slypskapelle to Dadizele, in front of the Menin - Roulers road. Battalion headquarters was established in a pillbox north of Slypskapelle. Meanwhile, Army Group Flanders had broken through four German defence lines in just two days. The last was Flandern II, a heavily fortified line that ran in front of and on top of the Mid-West Flemish ridge. Army Group Flanders was now in front of Flandern I. This defensive line was thought to be neglected and barely occupied. Allied command believed that German resistance would crumble after the fall of Flandern II. The men would soon discover that this was not the case at all.
The next day, an attempt was made to advance on Flandern I, along the Menin - Roulers road. The 8th Black Watch was ordered to penetrate Slip Wood, just east of Slypskapelle. But the attack without a protective barrage, was soon repulsed by determined German resistance. Because of unexpectedly heavy resistance, Slip Wood was evacuated. The battalion suffered heavy losses from machine-gun fire and was eventually forced to withdraw to their original line. Second Lieutenant David Chalmer Burns, only 19 years old, was killed in action on 30 September 1918 at Slip Wood. According to his company commander, he was hit by a bullet, probably from a German machine gun, while leading his men towards Flandern I. Second Lieutenant David Chalmer Burns was buried by his comrades at Slip Wood.
After the war, the remains of three soldiers were buried in Slip Wood. All three were reburied in Slypskapelle churchyard. A little later, the British Army ordered the exhumation of these soldiers' remains from the churchyard, as they wanted to rebury all fallen soldiers in military cemeteries in the region. However, David's parents objected to the removal of their son and as prominent Roman Catholics, they wanted him to remain near the Catholic church in Slypskapelle. They paid for a stone in the shape of a Celtic cross and it was agreed that Second Lieutenant David Chalmer Burns could remain on the specially constructed field of honour at Slypskapelle, where he still rests today.
Sources 6
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2/Lieutenant David Chalmers BURNS The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders). (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 339/88365). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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26 Infantry Brigade: 8 Battalion Black Watch (Royal Highlanders). (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/1766/3). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), RG14). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Ewing J., The History of the Ninth (Scottish) Division 1914-1919 (London, John Murray, 1921). 435 p. Sources used |
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Wauchope A.G. (ed.)., A History of the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) in the Great War, 1914-1918: Volume Three: New Army (London, The Medici Society Limited, 1926) pg. 64-69. Sources used |
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Weemaes M., Van de IJzer tot Brussel : het bevrijdingsoffensief van het Belgische leger 28 september 1918 (Marcinelle, Maison d'Edition, 1972). 411 p. 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/163808 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=9e4912b1-fd73-49d8-9619-713d9fb2bf37 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/618472 |