Burkett John Emery

A Lieutenant with 1/2 North Midland Field Company, Burkett died on 13th of October 1915 at the age of 31. 

Burkett was born at Chelsea, London, in March 1884, a son of Arthur George and Elizabeth Emery. In 1891 his family lived at 80 Cobden Road, Croydon, and by 1893 they were living at Park Road, Lowestoft.

Burkett was educated privately before attending Saint Margaret’s School from 9 October 1893 to 12 July 1894.

In 1901 his family lived at Providence House, 17 Park Road, Lowestoft, and Burkett was a solicitor’s clerk. In January 1901 Burkett became a student at Lowestoft School of Art. 

Burkett was well known in the Lowestoft area as an artist and illustrator. 

Burkitt trained to be an architect, under Ralph Scott Cockrill, at Lowestoft. He moved to Birmingham and from 1909 he had his own practice as an architect and surveyor. He was elected a member of the Society of Architects (MSA). See Emery, Burkett John 1884 - 1915 | AHRnet (arthistoryresearch.net) 

In 1910 Burkett became a mason and was a member of the Arter, Worcestershire, Lodge. 

On 29 October 1910 Burkett married Nora Fanny Small, at Wretham Road Church, Handsworth, Birmingham. In 1911 they lived at 68 Broughton Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, and Burkett had his own business as an architect and surveyor. Later Nora lived at 2 North Gate, Harborne, Birmingham. 

Burkett volunteered and enlisted in the Army at Birmingham. He joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, service number 394, and was posted to the 14th Battalion. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers on 12 January 1915, and served with the 2nd North Midland Field Company. He was promoted to Temporary Lieutenant on 6 July 1915. Burkett arrived in France on 10 August 1915 to join the 1/2nd North Midland Field Company, part of the 46th (North Midland) Division. 

On 13 October 1915 the 46th division took part in an attack to capture the Hohenzollern Redoubt. The 1/2nd North Midland Field Company had two sections supporting 137th Brigade during the assault. The 1/2nd Field Company War Diary has the following for War Diary 13-14 October 1915:

Bombardment of British artillery started at 12 noon. The infantry attacked at 2.05 p.m. Number 1 and 2 Sections following the third line of infantry attack across the open. The orders for Royal Engineers being to block communications trenches leading to the enemy and to wire in front of captured trenches as soon as infantry had reached their objective. As the infantry did not advance beyond our own front line, owing to heavy machine gun fire, the Sections only reached our own front line, and helped to man the trenches with the infantry. Casualties were very heavy considering no engineering work was necessary, and were as follows: two officers wounded and missing; 27 other ranks killed wounded and missing.

It was noted that Lieutenants Davis and Emery both led their men in the attack on the 13th October. See: Role of RE Field Company in attack - Other Great War Chat - The Great War (1914-1918) Forum (greatwarforum.org)

Burkett was known to be wounded and missing at the attack on Hohenzollern Redoubt on 13 October 1915.    

Note: The Commonwealth War Graves website states that Burkett died on 11 October 1915. Evidence from the Field Company War Diary and other sources show that this is not correct and that he was wounded and missing, later presumed killed, on 13 October 1915.