Description
1914-15 Star, Impressed “1420 PTE H.M. BURFORD. 11 L.H. RGT. A.I.F.”
British War Medal, Impressed “1420 PTE. H.M. BURFORD. 11 L.H.R. A.I.F.”
Victory Medal, name erased.
Son of George William Burford and Hannah (Pells) Burford, Horace Milton Burford was born in 1896 at Normanville, South Australia and was the second youngest child of five siblings, and is recorded as being a driver by trade. On the 27th August 1916, Burford attested for the Australian Imperial Force at Adelaide, South Australia, enlisting as Private 1420 of the 7th Reinforcements, ‘Geelong Group’, to the 11th Light Horse Regiment. Burford embarked on the 18th November 1915 aboard the H.M.A.T. A2 ‘Geelong’ for overseas service.
After disembarking at Egypt, Burford transferred between the 11th L.H.R. and the 7th L.H.R. in Heliopolis for several months until being admitted to the 3rd Australian General Hospital on the 3rd April with Coryza, a bacterial infection. He was transferred to the 17th General Hospital with a diagnosis of Rhematic fever – initial reports deemed Burford dangerously ill, although he was pronounced fine on the 17th May, he was later transferred to the 3rd Australian General Hospital at Alexandria on the 19th August 1916. Final medical reports indicated debility following rheumatic fever, paratyphoid and dysentery, and deemed Burford unfit for all service. He was transferred to the British troop transport H.T. ‘Ascanius’, and returned to Australia for discharge on the 2nd September 1916.
Following his World war I service, Horace Milton Burford returned to civilian life in South Australia, later marrying Linda Burford and working as a mechanic in the town of Frewville. He passed away on the 21st March 1984 at the late age of 87 to natural causes, and is buried Centennial Park Cemetery at Pasadena, Mitcham City, South Australia.
Unfortunately, a broken trio with the Victory Medal name erased – it is possibly his original, although impossible to tell. An affordable Light Horse group. Medals loose and unmounted, few contact marks and stains to BWM, star polished, decent condition otherwise.