Alexander Stewart Burton Venture capital was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross.
Background
Alexander Burton was born at Kyneton, in the state of Victoria, on 20 January 1893. His father, a grocer, moved his family to Euroa where he commenced working for a department store. After completing his schooling, Alexander joined his father at the store, working in the ironmongers section.
Career
Shortly after the outbreak of the, Burton enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 18 August 1914 and posted to the 7th Battalion. He embarked with the battalion for the Middle East on 19 October 1914. On 25 April 1915, 7th Battalion landed at Gallipoli but Burton was sick and did not reach the frontlines until a week later.
He was promoted to the rank of lance-corporal on 10 July 1915 for "having volunteered and taken part in the forcing of Saphead D21 in the face of the enemy".
On 9 August 1915, Burton fought in the Battle of Lone Pine when his company reinforced newly captured Turkish trenches. Burton was one of a party of men that manned a barricade against attacking Turkish soldiers.
Burton"s Venture capital was gazetted on 15 October 1915. The citation read as follows: Foreign most conspicuous bravery at Lone Pine Trenches on the 9th August, 1915.
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 mentor
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 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. Burton has no known grave and is commmorated on the Lone Pine Memorial.
He was subsequently mentioned in despatches by General Sir Ian Hamilton on 28 January 1916.
Membership
Two other members of the party, Lieutenant Frederick Tubb and Corporal William Dunstan, were also awarded VCs.