William Francis Burtt

Story:
William Francis Burtt was born in Donhead St. Andrew, Wiltshire, on 17 Jun 1891 the son of William Burtt and Martha Burtt (nee Hayward).  He lived his early life at Harwood,  Donhead St. Andrew, until by 1911 he was living with his brother, James Burtt, in Mere, Wiltshire.  He married Fanny Norris at the Zion Hill Chapel, Tisbury, Wiltshire, on 21 Jun 1915.   He had enlisted on 16 Nov 1915 with the Dorsetshire Regiment as a Private (Service No. 15873).  He served with the 1st Battalion in the Balkans where he received gun shot wounds to the Left Thigh.  Despite this he went on to be promoted to Corporal and was finally discharged as being medically unfit on 24 Oct 1919 and awarded the Silver War Badge No. B342750 plus a pension paid until 20 Nov 1923.  He was also awarded the Victory and British War Medals.   By the time of the 1939 Register he was living in Castle Street, Mere, Wiltshire, working as a Permanent Way Labourer for the Local Council.  He died in Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 18 Feb 1978.  His other brother, Thomas Hubert Burtt, also served in the conflict.