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Charles Henry Burgess, Jr.

PFC Charles H. Burgess served with Able Company, First Battalion, 7th Marines.
He was killed in action at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 27 September 1942.

Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

Branch

Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number 362707

Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

Current Status

Remains Not Recovered

Pursuit Category

The DPAA has not publicized this information.

Capsule History

Pre-War Life

Birth

July 12, 1924
at Richmond, ME

Parents

Charles Henry Burgess, Sr.
Gertrude (Guerrette) Burgess

Education

Swampscott High School

Occupation & Employer

Student

Service Life

Entered Service

January 26, 1942
at Boston, MA

Home Of Record

1 Superior Street
Swampscott, MA

Next Of Kin

Mother, Mrs. Gertrude Burgess

Military Specialty

Primary Unit

A/1/7th Marines

Campaigns Served

Solomon Islands / Guadalcanal

Individual Decorations

Purple Heart

Additional Service Details

Loss And Burial

Circumstances Of Loss

On 27 September 1942, a detachment of the First Battalion, 7th Marines under the command of Major Otho L. Rogers made an amphibious landing on the beach just west of Point Cruz, Guadalcanal. This complicated maneuver was a bold attempt to flank Japanese defensive positions along the Matanikau River, establish a foothold in enemy territory, and allow other Marines to force their way across – possibly turning the tide of battle along Guadalcanal’s northern coast.

Rogers’ men landed without incident and advanced inland to a grassy ridge designated “Hill 84.” The plan quickly fell apart: fast-moving Japanese troops counterattacked, and a mortar shell killed Rogers as he tried to establish a perimeter. With few heavy weapons and no radio, the Marines fought their way back to the beach, suffering heavy casualties all the while. Brave Coast Guardsmen arrived in landing craft to extract the battalion. The ignominy of withdrawal was not lost on the Marines, who bitterly nicknamed the battle “Little Dunkirk.”

PFC Charles Burgess was one of thirteen Marines from A/1/7 to lose his life on 27 September. He was last seen alive on the retreat route, in heavy jungle near the beach.

Excerpt from the muster roll of A/1/7th Marines, September 1942. None of these men have been recovered.
Burial Information or Disposition

The Marines, hard-pressed to evacuate their wounded, were forced to leave the bodies of the fallen on the field. “Not recovered due to battle conditions” was entered on the muster roll. At a later date, the notation “Buried in common grave with 16 others on west bank, mouth of Matanikau River” was added to the casualty cards of fourteen men. PFC Burgess was included in this number

In the years after the battle for Little Dunkirk, several remains were retrieved from the field; Ralph Harless and Kenneth Quist, both of A/1/7, were subsequently identified. Post-war search efforts focused on the reported mass grave near the Matanikau, but locals reported that the river mouth “covered an area almost twice the size it was originally,” and no clues were found.

Memorials

Manila American Cemetery and Memorial
Quantico National Cemetery  Note: Photograph attached to Manila memorial shows cenotaph at Quantico.
World War II Memorial Monument, Swampscott, Massachusetts

Next Of Kin Address

Address of mother, Mrs. Gertrude Burgess

Location Of Loss

PFC Burgess was last seen in the vicinity of Hill 84, Guadalcanal.

Related Profiles

Marines non-recovered from "Little Dunkirk"
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