Gone for a Burton explained

Gone for a Burton is a British English expression meaning to be missing or to die. The term was popularised by the RAF around the time of World War II.^[1] It migrated to the USA quickly and in June 1943 a story titled "Husky Goes Down for a Burton" appeared in Boys' Life, the magazine of the Boy Scouts of America.^[2] The etymology is disputed.^[3]

Notes and References

1. Web site: The meaning and origin of the expression: Gone for a burton. The Phrase Finder. 30 October 2015.
2. Cox. JR. Husky Goes Down for a Burton. Boys' Life. July 1943. 30 October 2015.
3. Web site: burton. 30 October 2015.