Born on 27th September 1893 Wilfred was the eldest child of Thomas and Annie Bury, then living in Whatcote where Thomas was a farmer.   The family moved to Shipston by the time that Wilfred’s sister Kate was born in the middle of April 1898.  On the 4th February 1901 Wilfred enrolled in the Boys School. The school register notes that up to this date he has been privately educated. His address is shown as Campden Road. The census a couple of months later is more specific and shows the family living at Bury’s Cottage, Mount Pleasant, Shipston. On the 14th August 1907 Wilfred left school to work with Thomas Hands, who ran a Cattle and Horse dealing business.

At the time of his death his parents were living at 5 Moreton Terrace, Telegraph St., Shipston-on-Stour.

Wilfred joined the Northamptonshire Yeomanry in February 1916. On joining the Yeomanry he was allocated service number 2217, which was converted, in the general re-numbering of the Territorial Forces on the 1st April 1917, to a 6-digit number of 146158. This corresponds with the fact that numbers 145001 to 150000 covered the Northamptonshire Yeomanry. The fact that his 4-digit territorial number is not listed on his medal index card        indicates that he went to France after the 1st April 1917 with the Yeomanry. 

For this to be the case it is likely that he went overseas with the one Squadron of the 2nd/1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry that served overseas. It was later absorbed into the Tank Corps.  It is thought that at this time, instead of transferring to the Tank Corp, Wilfred transferred to the Lancashire Fusiliers.

In the summer of 1918 Wilfred was either wounded or became sick, as it is reported that he spent a year in England. Once recovered he was transferred to the 90th Company of the Labour Corps. The Labour Corps played a key role in keeping the Army in a functioning state.

They made roads and railways, laid telephone and electricity cables, and moved ammunition and stores around.  They were also responsible for burying the dead.  The nature of their jobs meant that the men worked unarmed, but were often well within the range of enemy artillery, and from their inception in 1917 to the end of the war over 9,000 were killed.

On the 23rd August 1919 the Evesham Journal reported:

News has been received on Saturday by Mr and Mrs T Bury, Telegraph-street, that their eldest son, Private Wilfred Bury, had died on August 9, from the effects of burns. Pte Bury joined the Northampton Yeomanry in February 1916 and was afterwards transferred to the Lancashire Fusiliers. He had twelve months service in France, but for over a year had been in England and was in Shipston a while back.

He went to France with a Labour Battalion about a fortnight previous to his death. It is presumed, but no information has yet come through, that he was one of the casualties in the explosion somewhere near Lille. Previous to joining up he was in the employ of Mr T Hands, Shipston. Much sympathy is felt for Mr and Mrs Bury and family in their sad loss.

The Times reported on the explosion of an ammunition dump at La Basse, near Lille on the 28th July 1919. Four French and two British Soldiers were injured along with a dozen civilians.

Wilfred died of his injuries on the 9th August 1919 and is buried in Caudry British Cemetery, Nord, France. He is remembered on the Council School and Town Memorials.

Mike Wells