Burgess, Henry (Harry)
Sergeant
No. 17341, ‘B’ Company, 13th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles
Killed in action on Saturday 1 July 1916 (aged 30)
No known grave
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Thiepval Memorial, France (Pier and Face 15 A and 15 B)
Comber and District War Memorial
Comber Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church
BIOGRAPHY
Henry Burgess was born on 22 June 1886 in Ballynichol, Comber and he was the third son of Samuel and Sarah Jane Burgess (nee Maxwell) who were married on 15 July 1881 in Granshaw Presbyterian Church. Samuel Burgess from Ballynichol was a son of Samuel Burgess, a farmer. Sarah jane Maxwell from Ballynichol was a daughter of James Maxwell, a labourer.
The Burgess family lived at Hillhead, Comber and later at 17 Brownlow Street, Comber.
Samuel Burgess worked as a farm labourer and huntsman and he and Sarah Jane had nine children:
Mary Jane (born 23 April 1882 in Ballynichol)
Samuel (born 28 November 1883 in Ballynichol)
James (born 14 January 1885 in Ballynichol)
Henry (Harry, born 22 June 1886 in Ballynichol)
Alexander (born 16 January 1888 in Ballynichol)
Clara (born 23 January 1890 in Ballynichol)
Robert (born 19 April 1891 in Ballynichol)
Sarah (born 14 March 1893 in Ballynichol)
Agnes Eva (born 10 December 1894 in Ballynichol)
Prior to the outbreak of the Great War Harry Burgess worked as a farm labourer.
He enlisted in Comber and served with the 13th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles in 108th Brigade of the 36th (Ulster) Division.
Sergeant Harry Burgess (No. 17341) was 30 when he was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme and he has no known grave.
Sergeant Harry Burgess (No. 17341) is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France; on Comber and District War Memorial and in Comber Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church.