Category: Military
Rank: Wheeler S/Sergeant
Regiment or Ship: Royal Engineers; Royal Field Artillery
Service Number(s): 497; 6807; 905328
Occupation: Telegraph Linesman (Post Office)
Date of Birth: 1882
Place of Birth: Aldershot, Hampshire
Date of Death: 1957
Place of Death: Hailsham, Sussex
Address: 88 Windsor Road, Bexhill on Sea
Photos and newspaper articles
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Family Information
Parents: Jasper Burfoot (1846-1889) and Emily Ann Burfoot – nee Larkin – (1857-1921).
Siblings:
Arthur R. Burfoot (1884-1963).
Elsie M. Burfoot (1886-1965).
George Edmund Burfoot (1888-1968).
In 1891 Jasper senior, Emily, and family were living at 13 Danvers Road, Tonbridge, Kent.
Spouse: On 29th April 1909 Jasper married Grace Crowhurst Martin (1879-1958) at St. Stephen’s Church, Tonbridge, Kent. They had two children – Ethel May Burfoot (1910- ) and Jasper Jeffery F. Burfoot (1911-1985).
In 1901 Jasper was living in an Army lodging at Gillingham and in 1911 he was boarding at a property in Bedwetty, Hollybush, nr. Newport, Monmouthshire. He and Grace went to live at 88 Windsor Road in 1915.
First World War Experience
Jasper had two careers in the armed forces – one prior to the outbreak of war in 1914 and one during the 1914-1918 war. He served in the Royal engineers for nine years – enlisting on 2nd October 1900 when he was 18½ years of age. At that time he was 5’ 9” tall, weighed 138 lbs, and had a chest measurement of 34½”. His complexion was fresh, his eyes hazel, and he had black hair. He had a scar on his right leg and right eye and a tattoo of a flag on his right forearm. He served with the 1st. Sussex Royal Engineer Volunteers in both Malta and Somaliland when he was awarded the African G. S. On 2nd October 1907 he requested an extension of his service (he was stationed at Berbera at the time) and it appears he then had one good conduct badge and his character reference was ‘very good’. He was, at that time, a Sapper. There does not appear to be a date for his demob from this Royal Engineers service.
In May 1914, obviously seeing that there was likely to be a war, he enlisted – this time in the 6th Sussex Royal Field Artillery (T). He had been working as a Telegraph Linesman with the Telephone Office in Devonshire-road, Bexhill on Sea. He was then 5’ 9½” tall with a 37” chest. His vision was very good as was his physical development. He left England on 28th October 1914 en route to India where he was stationed until 15th May 1919. He had two spells in hospital while in India – once in Jabalpur in June/July 1915 for neuralgia (stiff neck) and, again, in August/September 1917 when it was recorded he had a contusion on the right side of his chest wall. Whether this was a result of a battle injury is not recorded. On 22nd June 1917 he was fitted with dentures. When he got home to England he was again hospitalized – this time with bronchitis.
For his service in WW1 Jasper was awarded the British War Medal and the T. F. War Medal. In August 1919 while with the 227 Bde Royal Field Artillery he was allowed a Bounty of £15. From the following letter it would appear that he was also awarded the Victory Medal but the researcher cannot find a record to confirm this.
On 19th November 1922 Jasper wrote to the Office In Charge of Records saying (sic):
“Dear Sir
Please can have my Victory Medal and Territorial overseas medal as I have not received my Victory Medal yet and as we have different parades in the town such as collecting for the Hastings Hospitals and as I am in the British Legion it is rather gauling having served since the outbreak of war until the last that others that served in the latter part of 1918 and 1919 should get theirs first. Sir I am quite aware that you have had (unreadable) full with work But I thought it best to write in case I had been overlooked.
Sir I am
Yours J. J. Burfoot RFA
No 905328 Sx Batt. “