Current Information:

Born-Brentford

Bedford House Cemetery, Belgium

On 31st May, 1917, 19th London of 141 Brigade, 47th Division moved into the front line in the Bluff sector of the Ypres salient. Things here were hotting up in more ways than one. The weather was described as being of ”intense heat” by the Battalion Diary and the British artillery, all along this sector of the line and beyond to the south was in full swing, bombarding the enemy lines night and day as they prepared the ground, or rather wrecked the ground, for the forthcoming Battle of Messines. The German artillery did not take this lying down and retaliated with their own bombardment of the British lines  wherein crouched, among other units, 19th London. At times the enemy shelling was intense, Trenches were obliterated, dug-outs blown in and of course, men killed and injured. One of those killed was John Burksfield on 3rd June.