Four: Lieutenant R. D. Burton, Royal Artillery, who was killed in action in Burma on 17 April 1945

1939-45 Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with named Army Council enclosure, in card box of issue addressed to ‘Mrs. E. M. Burton, 75 Tideswell Road, Eastbourne, Sussex’; together with five cased and named silver or plated sports medals (Eastbourne & District Football Association, R.D. Burton; Eastbourne Gas Company, 1936-37, 1937-38; Eastbourne Table Tennis League Championship 1937-38 R. Burton); Royal Artillery sweetheart brooch; tie pin; and a pair of collar badges, good very fine (lot) £120-£160

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to recipients of the Burma Star.

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Ronald David Burton was educated at Eastbourne Grammar School and was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on 6 February 1944. Promoted War Substantive Lieutenant on 6 August 1944, he served during the Second World War with the 18th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, in India and Burma.

The 18th Field Regiment R.A. was armed with twenty-four “Priest” 105mm self-propelled guns mounted on Grant Tank tracked chassis, a rare form of artillery, especially in Burma where they were the only Field Regiment so equipped. Their OPs were Sherman tanks. In September 1944 the regiment was at Imphal and moved into Burma in December as 14th Army Artillery. In February 1945 it joined 16th Army Group, RA, for operations across the Irrawaddy. The regiment covered 7th Indian Division’s Irrawaddy crossing and was in the vanguard of the division’s armoured thrust to capture the important administrative centre Meiktila. For the Battle of Meiktila 59/73 Field Battery was granted the Honour Title “Meiktila.”

Burton was killed in action in the area of MS 246 on the Rangoon Road near Shwemyo in Burma on 17 April 1945 when, during the fast-paced armoured advance, a ‘105 mm gun commenced accurate shelling of the Regimental area – shooting obviously observed. Lieutenant R. D. Burton (Assistant Command Post Officer, 93 Battery) and one other rank (59 Battery) killed.’ (War Diary refers). Originally buried at Meiktila War Cemetery, he was subsequently re-interred in Taukkyan War Cemetery, Burma.

His medals were sent to his mother, Mrs. Edith Maud Burton, of Eastbourne.