Charles Robert Burton
Born(1942-12-13)13 December 1942
Cape Town, South Africa
Died15 July 2002(2002-07-15) (aged 59)
Framfield
Alma materMillfield
Occupation(s)British Army soldier, explorer
Spouse
Thelma Petts
​
(m. 1981⁠–⁠2002)​
Military career
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Years of service1961–1967
UnitRoyal Sussex Regiment, Special Air Service

Charles Robert Burton (13 December 1942 – 15 July 2002) known as Charlie Burton was an English explorer, best known for his part in the Transglobe Expedition, the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe from pole to pole.[1][2] Serving as cook, radio operator, and mechanic, he was the only member of the team to accompany the expedition's leader, Ranulph Fiennes, on the entire route.[3][4]

Burton was born in Cape Town, South Africa. He attended Millfield school in Somerset, where he excelled more in sports than academics.[5] From 1961 to 1967, he was a soldier in the British Army, serving with the elite Special Air Service and traveling to the Middle East, Northern Ireland, Malta, and Germany. After his military career, Burton held odd jobs, mainly with various private security firms.[6]

While bartending at The Admiral Codrington pub in Chelsea in 1975, he met Fiennes, with whom he spent some four years organizing and raising money for the Transglobe Expedition. After the expedition, which lasted from 1979 to 1982, Burton returned to the security business. Ten years later, he helped Fiennes organize another expedition, but declined to participate.[5][7]

Burton married Thelma "Twink" Petts in April 1981 in Sydney, Australia, while on the Transglobe Expedition.[8] He died of a heart attack on 15 July 2002 at his family home in the village of Framfield in Sussex.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Dimery, Rob. "1982: First Surface Circumnavigation via both Geographical Poles". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  2. ↑ "Charles Burton, 59; Circumnavigated Globe". Los Angeles Times. 18 July 2002. Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014. Charles Burton, a British explorer who took part in the first expedition to circumnavigate the world from pole to pole, has died.
  3. ↑ Shephard, Oliver (20 July 2002). "Charles Burton: Explorer who fuelled the world's first transglobe expedition with laughter". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 May 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  4. ↑ "Charles Burton, 59, British Explorer". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 17 July 2002. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  5. 1 2 "BIOGRAPHIES - CHARLIE BURTON – ICE TEAM / MECHANIC / COOK". Transglobe Expedition. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  6. 1 2 Lewis, Paul (17 July 2002). "Charles Burton, 59, a Pole-to-Pole Explorer". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2 October 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  7. ↑ Obituaries. "Charlie Burton (1943 - 2002) Archived 15 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine." Transglobe Expedition official site. Accessed 19 Feb. 2014.
  8. ↑ "She's gone for a Burton Archived 8 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine." The Sydney Morning Herald. 12 April 1981. Accessed 19 Feb. 2014.


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