Biography from "Wycliffe in the War" .

Biography from "Wycliffe in the War" .

1904 - 1917

William J BURNETT Flight Sub-Lieut., R.N.A.S., killed in action, September 26th, 1917. Will Burnett was at Wycliffe from 1904 to 1907, first as a day-boy and afterwards at Haywardsfield. He was one of those boys who at school seemed disappointing and unresĀ­ponsive, but who, like the second son in the parable, afterwards " made good " in most surprising fashion. On leaving Wycliffe he was for a year in business with an uncle in Grimsby, and there he learnt the invaluable lesson, as he himself later termed it, of what " sticking to work " meant. He then joined the well-known engineering firm of Messrs. R. A. Lister and Sons, of Dursley, and subsequently went to the Dudbridge Iron Works, where he gradually worked his way up until he was sent out by the firm to set up new engines, and to repair those which were not working well. During this period the fact of his having learnt to swim well at school enabled him to effect the gallant rescue of a lad who was drowning, and all but gone. In the autumn of 1913, he was selected by the directors of the company to go to Australia, where several of their engines seemed to be giving trouble. He was away for six months, and did his work to the entire satisfaction of both the directors and the Australian buyers. Pressure was brought to bear both on the firm and himself to keep him in Australia, but he preferred to stay with the Dudbridge Iron Works, by whom he was employed on similar work in Brussels just before the outbreak of war. In the words of one of the managers he was "always keen and showed quite exceptional engineering ability." When the war began, he joined the R.N.A.S. in the first week, and was speedily sent from the Isle of Grain to DunĀ­kirk, where as flight companion to Commander Samson he shared in some most exciting and very perilous reconnaissance work above Ostend, being on one occasion shot down into the sea. He was at the sinking of the " Hermes," but shortly after Christmas, 1914, the Admiralty recalled him to Fort George, and for nearly two years they preferred to use his technical engineering knowledge at home. He was sent in turn to almost every big aeroplane factory, and his old firm borrowed him from the Admiralty for six weeks to help them with their aeroplane engines. For his services at this time they presented him with a gold wrist-watch. In July, 1916, he was sent to Malta, and he remained there for seven or eight months, assisting in the construction of a new seaplane base. On his return to England he applied for a commission in the R.N.A.S., calling at Wycliffe one Sunday afternoon to get us to sign that application form which in so many cases, alas, has proved to be a death-warrant too. He passed all his tests at the first attempt, and was frequently given charge of the engineering teaching of other young officers. He was entirely master of his job, and his log book invariably had V.G.I. (very good indeed) entered in it. Writing from Flanders three days before his death, he said : " We are at a well-known town which is a mass of ruins, and which is pronounced in all kinds of ways. I have been flying several full of holes and craters, many of them filled with water. I hope to come through all right, but as we are ' scrapping ' all day long there is no knowing what will happen. Anyhow, we have a big task before us to win, and it's got to be done, and if I go west, well I" On Sept. 26th he started with twelve others on a flight from which none of them returned. We give two extracts from letters received from his parents. One was written by his Squadron Commander, and says : " He was an excellent fellow in every way, a keen officer and an awfully fine pilot." The other was written by one who knew him intimately : " It must comfort you, if you have lost him, to know that he was a clean, honest Britisher. I can safely say that I never knew him do anything of which he might be ashamed." He was last seen flying low over the German lines on a misty morning, which heralded the sunshine of a perfect day.

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  • Profile picture for William Josiah Burnett

    Born 1891

    Died 1917

    Air Force (RAF/RFC)

    Royal Navy F13 Chief Petty Officer Mechanic III Royal Naval Air Service

    Royal Navy F13 Petty Officer Mechanic Royal Naval Air Service