BURR, Frederick Bonham

Frederick Burr lived at Highfields Park in Halesowen and was one of the sons of the Revd. George and Caroline Burr. The family had owned the Hayseech Gun Barrel works for many years. He was a keen cricketer and played in 1911 for Worcestershire. He volunteered for the Worcesters and was commissioned in the 3rd Battalion. In March 1915 the campaigning opened with a British attack on the German lines in Artois at Neuve Chapelle. The Worcesters put in a diversionary attack at Spanbroek Mill on the spur south of Ypres. Neither action was successful and the cost of the diversionary attack for the Worcesters was heavy. Nine officers and 38 other ranks were killed, including Captain Frederick Burr who was 28 years of age. He is buried at Kemmel Chateau Cemetery (I 9) and commemorated on the Halesowen Memorial. His younger brother, Alfred, was killed in 1918.