Raymond Pelham Burles was born in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire in early 1897, the youngest child born to James John Burles and Rose (Mary Rosina Eliza) Molton. James and Rose had four children together who were; James, Elizabeth Rose, Hilda Mary and Raymond Pelham.

Raymond’s father James was a ‘Manager’ at Dickinson & Co. Limited and the family lived at ‘Snatchups End’ next to Apsley Mills where James worked. (‘Snatchups End’ was in the vicinity of the Apsley Mills Retail Park today).

By 1911 the Burles family had moved to Boxmoor and lived at 19 Fishery Road, a late period Victorian house built for wealthier commuters on the London and Birmingham Railway, and which still stands today. By the time Raymond was at the Front, his family had moved again, this time to ‘Mill House’ at Apsley End. This was the house John Dickinson and Mary Grover had lived in when he was setting up Apsley Mills and before he had built ‘Abbot’s Hill’.

When he left school in 1910, Raymond started work with John Dickinson & Co. Limited at Apsley Mills and it was from here that he left to enlist on the outbreak of war.

Raymond attested at Watford, joining the Bedfordshire Regiment, and was subsequently posted to ‘C’ Company, 6th (Service) Battalion to begin training at Aldershot. The Battalion moved to Salisbury Plain in May 1915 to complete training and to prepare for mobilisation.

The Battalion was mobilised and went to France, disembarking at Le Havre on the 30th July 1915, before moving south to the area around Bienvillers-au-Bois, approximately twelve miles north of Albert. During his time here, Raymond was promoted Lance Corporal, perhaps attesting to his maturity even though he was only nineteen years old.

In July 1916 Raymond saw his first significant action when the 6th Bedfords fought at the Battle of Bazentin Ridge, an early engagement in the Battle of the Somme. The Battalion was part of the 112th Brigade which had been ordered to attack and capture Pozieres, an assault which proved costly for the 6th Bedfords. By the end of the day-long attack the battalion had incurred 330 casualties killed, wounded or missing.

Raymond was one of the men listed missing at Bazentin Ridge and over the following five months, the Hemel Gazette reported on communications to his parents as well as a disturbing coincidence experienced by his father. Initially reported missing the Gazette published a letter to his parents in August 1916.

This was followed a few weeks later with two further letters to the family which seemed to extinguish any hope for Raymond’s survival. The second letter to his brother or sister is particularly graphic in its description of Raymond’s wounding and possible fate. The soldier named Gravestock was George Gravestock who was also killed in April 1917. His biography is also on this site.

In December 1916 the Gazette reported an encounter that Raymond’s father James experienced whilst on a train.

Finally, over a year after he was first reported missing, his parents received official confirmation of his death.

Raymond was officially reported killed on Saturday, 15th July 1916.

Not long after Raymond’s death, his parents and sister Hilda emigrated to Australia, a country often visited by his father during his career at Dickinsons. They settled in Sydney and in 1937, Raymond’s father James aged seventy-two, died on board ship whilst returning to England.

The Dickinson & Co. Memorial at Apsley commemorates Raymond’s sacrifice and he is also remembered on the memorial plaque in St Mary’s Church, Apsley.

Raymond is Remembered with Honour on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France, Pier and Face 2C.

 

He was only 19 years old when he died.

Raymond was entitled to the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.