Add Information to Record of a Person who served during the Second World War on The Wartime Memories Project Website
Add Information to Record of a Person who served during the Second World War on The Wartime Memories Project Website
Additions will be checked before being published on the website and where possible will be forwarded to the person who submitted the original entries. Your contact details will not be forwarded, but they can send a reply via this messaging system.
244456
L/Cpl Harold William "Bert" Burling
British Army 1st Btn. Norfolk Regiment
from:Waterbeach , Cambs
(d.7th Aug 1944)
Harry Burling was my Wife's Uncle, she never met him. Known as Prince by my Wife's Mum (his sister). His army mates called him Bert, I'm guessing they seized on his surname and came up with 'Burlinton Bertie'. He landed on Sword Beach on D Day, and fought his way across France. In the early days of August, approaching the town of Vire, he tried to organise the recovery of an anti tank gun. He and his mates were all wounded when a German tank fired on them while they were doing it. Got back to his lines and, jokingly, told his chums he'd got a blighty wound and would be going back to England for a few weeks but would be back. Sadly, he was put on a hospital ship, the Amsterdam, which struck a mine with great loss of life, including his own. He is remembered on the Bayeux Memorial and on Waterbeach, Cambs war memorial.