Final commemorative Victoria Cross stone laid in Bristol

A commemorative stone laid in honour of Bristolian Victoria Cross recipient Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Burges, has been unveiled in a ceremony outside St Peter’s Church in Castle Park. This is the final stone to be laid in commemoration of soldiers who were awarded Victoria Crosses; three stones can be found outside St Peter’s Church, whilst the fourth is outside St John’s Church in Bedminster.

A crowd gathered to watch the unveiling, including military personnel from the Rifles regiment, which succeeded Lt. Col Burges’ now dissolved Gloucestershire regiment, and the Royal Welsh, on behalf of the former South Wales Borderers. It was while temporarily commanding the 7th South Wales Borderers at the Battle of Doiran in the Balkans that Lt. Col Burges earned his Victoria Cross.

After an introduction from deputy lord mayor Lesley Alexander, retired Major General Robin Grist – the last commander of the ‘Glosters’ – captivated the audience with a retelling of Lt. Col. Burges’ life, military career and the heroic actions that earned him the prestigious Victoria Cross. Lt. Col Burges’ great niece, Jill Leyland, concluded with a few words, telling the assembled crowd: “Dan was very proud of his Bristolian roots and would surely be honoured to be commemorated in this way.”

Two minutes’ silence was held before two wreaths were laid on the stone; one to represent Burges’ family and the other to represent the military personnel.

This is the fifth and final commemorative stone laid in memory of Bristol’s Victoria Cross recipients. Photo by Anna Trafford

Lt. Col. Burges’ Victoria Cross recognises his bravery at the Battle of Doiran on September 18 1918. His battalion had been ordered to attack three lines of heavily fortified Bulgarian trenches, despite being beset by a lack of reinforcements, malaria and Spanish influenza.

Before the battle he reconnoitred no man’s land under cover of darkness, which proved critical in directing his troops while under artillery bombardment and enabled them to capture the first two lines. Despite being wounded, he continued to lead the battalion against the third objective while taking fire from three sides. Eventually, Burges sustained two further wounds and was taken prisoner.

Although the battle was lost, the Bulgarians then misguidedly believed that this was focus of the allied attack. Their subsequent decision to concentrate their reserves in this area enabled the allies to break through in the west and force the Bulgarians to retreat. The collapse of this front followed soon after, which prompted the German High Command’s formal request to start peace talks.

Lt. Col Burges was awarded the Victoria Cross by King George V at Buckingham Palace on December 21 1918, for his “conspicuous bravery, skilful leadership and devotion to duty”, and his “coolness and courage [which] afforded a magnificent example to all ranks”.

His battalion were one of the few to be honoured with the French military decoration, Croix de Guerre, in recognition of their actions. Lt. Col Burges was personally awarded the Croix de Guerre avec palme, which recognises individuals who distinguish themselves by acts of heroism.

The special commemorative stones form part of a nationwide campaign to honour First World War Victoria Cross recipients, of which there were only 627. Eight Victoria Cross holders are known to be connected with Bristol, though only the four who were born here have been commemorated with stones.

Bristol lord mayor Cleo Lake said: “The stones are a fantastic way to honour the memory of exceptional soldiers like Lt. Col Burges, whose incredible acts of courage earned them the highest accolade of the Victoria Cross. I’d like to thank everyone who has helped to organise this event.”