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.
Branch
Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number 362707
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.
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.
