Robert King Holmes Burgess was the eldest son of Dr. Robert Burgess, JP. Coagh. He was educated at the Academical Institution in Derry and Royal School, Dungannon. He served his apprenticeship in Messrs Coombe, Barbour & Coombe Engineering Works in Belfast. At the outbreak of the Boer War he volunteered for the Imperial Yeomanry and was sent to Rhodesia, seeing action at Mafeking. At the end of the Boer War he received the Queen’s Medal with four clasps which was presented by King Edward VII, At the outbreak of the First World War he again volunteered, joining the East Africa Pioneer Company. He was wounded in action on 11th March 1917 when the Imperial Forces routed the Germans at Taveta. He later succumbed to his wounds.
Taveta is a small town on the Tanzanian border, 124 kilometres west of Voi on the road to Moshi. The Military Cemetery is on the western side of the town, within sight of the border post and next to the DC's office. The cemetery is almost square, set back slightly from the road and surrounded by a 4 foot paling fence. The cemetery is laid to gravel over concrete with scattered drought tolerant shrubs.
