Beris Burton-Fanning

A nurse who was burnt to death during the First World War is buried in Little Shelford churchyard – but no one knows her local links

Beris Burton-Fanning died in October 1916.

According to a death notice held by the Imperial War Museum:

As the sad result of an, accident, the death occurred last week at Cambridge of Miss Beris Selina Frances Burton-Fanning, a member of the voluntary Aid Detachment working at the 1^st Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge, and quartered at Selwyn College.

Whilst talking to a colleague over her fire before going to bed Miss Burton-Fanning discovered that she was in flames. It: is believed that a spark from the fire set her dressing gown alight.”

Beris also served at hospitals in Norwich.

In 1919, her family gave £750 to create the Nurses Aid Fund at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital to support other nurses in Beris’ memory.