Memorials & Monuments
on the Isle of Wight
- Biography -
- Walter James Burden -

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, March 3, 1915 Page 2

"The Battle of Heligoland."

Mrs. Burden, of 55 South Street, Ventnor, sends us the following lines which have been received from her son Walter, who is on H.M.S. Queen Mary. She has another son in the Royal Horse Artillery. The lines were composed by a sailor on the ship and if the metre and literary style are a bit awry, they display the proverbial confident and spirit of the British Jack Tar. Seaman Burden says the lines are vociferously sung on board to the tune of "Come sing to me, my little Fopsy Wopsy" - whatever this may be!

We see the German cruisers down by Heligoland,
They were playing a German Ragtime Band,
They mistook us for some mugs, you see,
But they did not know it was the "Queen Mary."
Then they started shooting at the "Princess Royal,"
But they didn't do any harm,
Now we know they're at the bottom of the sea,
For the lyddite was very warm.

Chorus:
Sing to me, you little German sailors,
If you can't sing to the fish,
Oh you German sailors
When we saw you go down we said:
Well, there goes the Kaiser's Band,
I shall dream about you all night to-night,
And when the rest of the Germans come out of Kiel Harbour,
They'll go down just as quick.

Now Old Kaiser Bill will go right off his head,
When he knows what our ships come out to do,
For we set one on fire, and sank the other two.
When they saw us coming they turned round and fled
From our shrapnel and lyddite shell,
Now we're happy, yap, yap, yappy,
For the Germans are under the swell.
Chorus.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, June 9, 1916 Page 1

The casualties in the great Naval battle of May 31st include a good number of Isle of Wight men and others having relatives on the Island. We regret to hear of the death of one or two Ventnor men, and desire to express the deepest condolence with the families. Sub-Lieut. Eynon Ll. Jones, R.N.R. who went down in the Indefatigable, was the only son of Mr. and the late Mrs. Evan Jones, formerly of Trentham, Spring Gardens. Able Seaman Walter Burden, of the Queen Mary, whose name appears in the list of casualties on that ship, was the son of Mr. and Mrs. S. Burden, Longdown, Ventnor. Leading Seaman E. Higgins is supposed to have been on the Tipperary. He was a coastguard at Ventnor for several years, and had a wide circle of friends in the town. Seaman George White, son of the late Petty Officer E.G. White and of Mrs. Snow, of Temperance Cottage, Bonchurch, was killed in action in the recent Naval battle. His father was on H.M.S. Bruiser when he volunteered for special service boat's crew and was drowned at Smyrna 16 years ago. He was buried at Smyrna. Among the saved on the Queen Mary is Midshipman J.L. Storey, whose sister is the matron at Elm Dene, St. Lawrence. He spent shore leave here recently.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, June 9, 1916 Page 4

KILLED IN ACTION.
BURDEN. - On May 31st, Walter James Burden, A.B., H.M.S. Queen Mary, aged 18, of No. 1, Cyril Cottages, South Street, son of Shem and Alice Burden, who gave his life for his country on H.M.S. Queen Mary. "Asleep in the Deep." - R.I.P.

Page 4

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
MR. AND MRS. BURDEN wish to thank all friends and neighbours for sympathy shown in their sad bereavement.

Page 4

MR. AND MRS. S. BURDEN, 1, Cyril Cottages, South Street, Ventnor, had official intimation yesterday of the death of their fifth son, Walter James Burden, A.B., H.M.S. Queen Mary, who lost his life in the Naval Battle off the Danish Coast on May 31st. Accompanying the notice was the following message of sympathy from the King and Queen: "The King commands me to assure you of the true sympathy of His Majesty and the Queen in your sorrow." Able Seaman Burden was also on the same ship in the Naval Battle of Heligoland on August 28th, 1914.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, June 1, 1917 Page 3

IN MEMORIAM
In ever loving and affectionate memory of our dear son, Walter James Burden, son of Shem and Alice Burden, who gave his life for his country on H.M.S. Queen Mary in the Jutland Naval battle, May 31st, 1916, age 18 years. "Asleep in the Deep."
R.I.P.
Could we but kneel
Beside his grave,
And shed a silent tear.

But oh, he sleeps
In a hero's grave,
The son we loved so dear.
From Mam, Dad, Brothers and Sisters, also from his brother in France.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, November 23, 1917 Page 2

MARRIAGE. - A very pretty marriage took place at Trowbridge, Kent, on November 10th between Hilda, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. S. Burden, Ventnor, and Corporal Arthur Leonard Jenner, R.A.M.C., son of Mr. A. Jenner, 9, Bank Street, Tonbridge. The bride, who was given away by her father, wore a dress of pretty silk eolienne, with black net hat trimmed with silver tinsel. She was attended by three bridesmaids, namely, her sister, who wore a Navy blue dress with gold trimming and hat to match, and two friends of the bride-groom, Misses Edith Childs and Doris Chandler, who wore white voile dresses with pale blue true-lovers' knots and sashes to match. The bride carried a bouquet of lilies and the bridesmaids pink and white flowers. The bridegroom was attended by Corpl. Eaton, R. A.M.C., as best man. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. Colin C. Kerr. After the ceremony the wedding breakfast was served at the Red Lion Hotel, Tonbridge, where about 20 guests sat down. The honeymoon is being spent at Eastbourne. The bride's travelling dress was a Navy blue costume.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, May 31, 1918 Page 2

IN MEMORIAM
BURDEN. - In ever loving memory of our dear son, Walter James BURDEN, aged 18, A.B. H.M.S. Queen Mary, who gave his life for his country in the Jutland Battle, May 31st 1916. Asleep in the Deep. - R.I.P.

His warfare o'er, his battle fought,
His victory won, though dearly bought,
His fresh young life could not be saved,
He slumbers now in a sailor's grave.

From his sorrowing Mam, Dad, Brothers and Sisters, also his Brother in France.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, August 2, 1918 Page 2

Driver A.E. Burden, R.H.A., son of Mr. and Mrs. S. Burden, Ventnor, has been "gassed" on the western front. He has been in hospital for five weeks and is now recovering. He has been in a great deal of the fighting in France during the last three years.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, May 30, 1919 Page 2

IN MEMORIAM
BURDEN. - In ever-loving memory of our dear son, Walter James Burden, A.B., H.M.S. Queen Mary, who gave his life for his country in the Jutland Battle, May 31st, 1916, aged 18.

You are not forgotten, Walter dear,
Or ever will you be.
For as long as life and memory last,
We will remember thee.

The call was short,
The blow severe
To part with one we loved so dear.
- From Mum, Dad, also his brothers and sister. R.I.P.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, May 28, 1920 Page 2

IN MEMORIAM
BURDEN. - In ever loving memory of our dear son, Walter James Burden, A.B., H.M.S. Queen Mary, who gave his life for his country in the Jutland Battle, May 31st, 1916, aged 18 years. R.I.P. - From Mum, Dad, also his brothers and sisters.

Only a mother knows the sorrow
Only a mother fears the pain,
To part with a son she loved so dearly
And knows the longing to meet again.

And though there's never a grave to tell,
Nor a cross to mark his fall,
We know he did his duty,
He gave his life, his all.
Asleep in the deep.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, January 26, 1940 Page 2

A Ventnor Survivor of H.M.S. Grenville
Mr. Arthur Burden, a member of a very old Ventnor family, a son of the late Mr. Shem Burden, was amongst the survivors of H.M.S. Grenville which sank on Friday last through enemy action with the loss of 68 hands. The vessel sank in less than five minutes. We congratulate our former townsman upon his rescue. His eldest brother is Mr. T. Burden, living at No. 4 West View Cottages, Newport Road.