Burford was born in St. Peters , Hammersmith , Middlesex , to the Rev. Dr. Arthur Howard Burford and his wife Sarah Burford ( née Spears ) . In 1873 he was apprenticed to the merchant fleet of Taylor , Bethel and Roberts , which between 1872 and 1878 traded to Brisbane and other ports in Australia , to India and South America , and while with them gained his Master 's Certificate . In 1882 he joined the Royal Navy , and while with the service in Australia in October that year he joined the Victorian Navy . In 1888 he was appointed Warrant Officer . In 1899 Burford was in the Victorian contingent which sailed to China to assist Britain in suppressing Chinese activism , dubbed the Boxer Rebellion . He served as gunner on HMS Phoenix . By the time they arrived the insurrection had been largely subdued ; nevertheless Burford , by now a Sub-Lieutenant , was entitled to the China War Medal . Burford returned home in 1901 and was promoted to Chief Warrant Officer in the newly instituted Royal Australian Navy , then received a commission as Lieutenant in 1905
China War Medal
China War Medal (1900)
O. L. A. Burford