25th County of London Cyclist Battalion
The London Regiment


Quarter Master Charles Aldridge BURT


Charles was born in 1871 in Kew, Surrey [Birth Cert regn. #1871, Jun Q, Richmond, S., 2a 304]. He was the son of Charles Henry BURT & Mary Ann ALDRIDGE. His father was a Carpenter.

On the 13th August 1888 Charles joined the Scots Guards at London. His attestation record's his occupation as Gardener. [Copies of his attestation papers  are filed under British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920 held by The National Archives, Kew.]

Appointed Lance-Corporal 1891. Corporal 1893.
In December 1895 he was one of 18 men of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards to be selected to go on the Ashanti Expedition. The Graphic (7 Dec. 1895) published a picture on its front page captioned :
"The detachment of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards who volunteered for service in Ashanti consists of Sergeant Arkinstall, Corporal Burt and fifteen privates and is under the command of Captain I.G. Drummond. Before embarking they were inspected by Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle." He was awarded the Ashanti Star. [Medal roll Burt 8063]

25 May 1896 during a display at the Military Tournament he was injured when a blank cartridge struck him in the left eye. A court of enquiry found that he was not to blame and that the injury would not affect his sight. Promoted Sergeant June 1896. Colour Sergeant April 1898.

The Irish Guards were formed 1st April 1900 and Burt transferred to the regiment and appointed its first Sergeant-Major. [The picture of him in an Irish Guards RSM uniform dates to about 1901.] He served in South Africa and was awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal with five clasps (copy roll included). He was awarded the 1902 Coronation Medal (copy medal roll confirms: 1st Irish Guards, Sgt.Maj. C.A. Burt) and the Army Long Service & Good Conduct Medal in 1906.

12 January 1905 he was posted to the 26th Middlesex Volunteer Rifle Corps as Sergeant-Instructor and in 1908 to the 25th (County of London) Cyclists as Color-Sergeant-Instrctor. In September 1909 he was appointed Acting Sergeant-Major of the same regiment. He was awarded the 1911 Coronation Medal (copy roll included: 350 Sgt:Maj: Burt, C.A., 25th London Regt). He was discharged in London, 27 January 1916: "He served in an expemplary manner as a NCO & Warrant Officer from 1891 onwards. Was Sergt. Major to the 1st Battn Irish Guards on its formation & afterwards. Sergt. Major to the 25th County of London Battn. Is in possession of the merdal for long service & good conduct. Has now been appointed Qr.Mr. to the 25th County of London Regt."

He was given a Territorial Commission as Hon. Lieutenant & Quartermaster in the 25th Londons, 28 January 1916 and embarked at Devonport 4 February 1917. Arrived in Bombay 26 February 1916 and was posted to the Waziristan Field Force "Summer Campaign" 26 May 1917 to 16 August 1917. He was awarded the British War and Victory Medals. His Medal Index Card has note on back: "Dept. of The King's Body Guard of the Yeoman of the Guards submits Medal Roll." Appointed Captain & QM, 1 May 1919 and served in Afghanistan 1919, receiving the medal.

He resigned his commission 12 May 1920. In tEmbarked at Bombay 15 November 1919 and retrned to England. He resigned his commission 12 May 1920. In the same year he joined The King's Body Guard of the Yeoman of the Guards.
He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal 2 October 1946, as 350 W.O.Cl.II, Irish Guards (copy medal card included).

The Yeoman of the Guard rolls show Charles from 1921 to 1949 when it records his death. [http://yeomenoftheguard.com/roll.htm]

He married Clara Rallings (Rawlings) in 1903. [Marriage registration - 1903, Dec Q, Epsom District, 2a 55]. Clara was a servant in Charles parent's household at Kew [1901 census], no doubt how they met. Clara was born in Royston, Hertfordshire in 1873. She was the daughter of Alfred Rallings, a wheelwright, and Rebecca (nee Cane), of Royston, Herts. He died 11 December 1949 at the West Middlesex Hospital, Isleworth, leaving a widow, Clara Burt.

WW1 Medal card :
(1) Lt. & Q.Mr. - 25th London Regt;
(2) Capt. - London Regt. India .G.S. Medal Afghan 1919. 
Medal card addresses - (1) c/o Cox & Co., 14 Charing Cross Rd, London. (2) Friary Court, St. James Palace, S.W. (3) 25 Cross Lances Rd, Hounslow, Middlesex.

Charles is mentioned several times in the Bn magazine

  [Photo courtesy of Henry Trull]
 
  [Photo courtesy of Darren O'Brien]

Ashanti Star Unnamed
Qeen's South Africa Medal Belmont / Modder River / Driefontein / Johannesburg / Diamond Hill S:MAJOR C.A. BURT. IRISH GUARDS.
British War Medal Q.M. & CAPT. C.A. BURT
Victory Medal Q.M. & CAPT. C.A. BURT
India General Service Medal (GV) Afghanistan N.W.F.1919 CAPT. C.A. BURT, 25 LOND.R.
1902 Coronation Medal Unnamed
1911 Coronation Medal Unnamed
Army Long Service & Good Conduct Medal (EdVII) 350 C.SERJT: C.A. BURT. IRISH GDS.


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In India WW1 [Photo from the album of Reginald Cuthbert GRIFFITHS]

Richmond, Surrey [photo courtesy of http://www.gravestonephotos.com]


Henry Trull is researching the Burt family -


Acknowledgements
The National Archives
http://www.qcmilitaria.com


  

Copyright © Simon Parker-Galbreath - Please acknowledge these web pages, and/or the original source.