Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Burbury
1st Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment

The colonel was such an obvious target—he had a flag in his hand in case there was going to be confusion and he could be rallied round, he waved his map as well. I think he was hit by a sniper. It happened several times actually. I served six commanding officers during the campaign. Two were killed, two were wounded …

(Arthur Rouse, IWM interview, 30 Jul 1994) journal, July 1944) https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80013951

Born on 1 April 1906 in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, Richard Percival Hawksley Burbury was educated at Ludgrove School and Eton College. He was commissioned with Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry in 1925 and served in India and Palestine before the war. He participated in the evacuation from Dunkirk in June 1940 and qualified for higher command. He was unit adjutant and briefly commanded the 2nd Battalion, DCLI from October to November 1942, when he relinquished the post due to ill-health. Nearly a year later, he became commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment.

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