Personal info
- Name: Alexander Stewart BURTON
- D.O.B: 20th Jan, 1893
- D.O.A: 9th Aug, 1915
- D.O.D: 9th Aug, 1915
- Award: Victoria Cross
- Occupation at time of action: Corporal, 7th Battalion (Victoria), 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Australian Imperial Force
- Book: The Complete History - Volume 2
Lone Pine, Gallipoli, Turkey 7-9 August 1915
7-9 August 1915
The Gallipoli Campaign 25 April 1915–9 January 1916
After the landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915 a front line had been established running roughly north to south across the 400 Plateau, south-east of the Cove. The Turkish defences in the south-eastern section of the Plateau had been named Lone Pine by the Australians. On the night of 6-7 August, as part of the diversionary attacks accompanying the landing at Suvla Bay to the north, the Australians attacked the Turkish positions at Lone Pine and, despite heavy casualties, broke through the enemy’s line. The Turks mounted counter-attacks over the succeeding days but the Australians held on and consolidated their gains. The action was a triumph and seven of the Australians were awarded VCs for their gallantry in the fighting: Captains A J Shout and F H Tubb, Lieutenant W J Symons, Lance Corporal L M Keysor, Corporals A S Burton and W Dunstan and Private J P Hamilton.
Citation
In the early morning the enemy made a determined counter-attack on the centre of the newly captured trench held by Lieutenant Tubb, Corporals Burton and Dunstan and a few men. They advanced up a sap and blew in a sandbag barricade, leaving only one foot of it standing, but Lieutenant Tubb with the two corporals repulsed the enemy and rebuilt the barricade. Supported by strong bombing parties the enemy twice again succeeded in blowing in the barricade, but on each occasion they were repulsed and the barricade rebuilt, although Lieutenant Tubb was wounded in the head and arm and Corporal Burton was killed by a bomb while most gallantly building up the parapet under a hail of bombs.