BOURKE, William Michael Sylvester
| Service Number: | 24 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 3 January 1916, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 52nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Coraki, New South Wales, 1897 |
| Home Town: | Brisbane, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 28 March 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" No known grave, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bundaberg War Memorial, Corinda Sherwood Shire Roll of Honor, Graceville War Memorial, Oxley War Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 3 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 24, Brisbane, Queensland | |
|---|---|---|
| 13 May 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 24, 14th Light Horse Regiment, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Beltana embarkation_ship_number: A72 public_note: '' | |
| 13 May 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 24, 14th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Beltana, Sydney | |
| 25 Jan 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 24, 52nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 28 Mar 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 24, 52nd Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 24 awm_unit: 52nd Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-03-28 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
William Bourke was born in August 1897 at Coraki on the Richmond River in Northern New South Wales. He attended the convent school at Ballina NSW but left school at 14 to help his mother raise his younger brothers and sisters. By the time of his enlistment, the family’s address was “Darra, Ipswich Line.”
William enlisted in Brisbane on the 3rd January 1916. His age at enlistment was given as 19 years and 5 months and his occupation as labourer. He was initially drafted into the 14th Light Horse with the regimental number of 24.
The 14th Light Horse 1st Reinforcements sailed from Sydney on H.M.A.T. “Beltana” and landed in Devonport, Plymouth Harbour, England in July 1916. Soon after disembarking, William was admitted to Devonport Hospital with mumps, where he celebrated his 20th birthday. On discharge, he was sent to Rolleston on Salisbury Plain and taken into the 13th Training Bn. After the Battle of Pozieres on the Somme in July – August 1916; there was a serious shortage of manpower to replace the heavy losses of the AIF. In all likelihood, William was encouraged to transfer to the infantry.
On 28th November 1916, William arrived at the huge British Expeditionary Force Camp at Etaples, France known as the Bullring. On the 13th December he joined the 52nd Battalion. The 52nd was a newly formed battalion raised in Egypt in early 1916 as part of the 13th Brigade of the 4th Division. The battalion was a mixture of Gallipoli veterans and new reinforcements. At this time William would have sown on his Unit patch, a circle of white over blue.
In the early months of 1917, the 52nd were involved in a huge offensive against the enemy in France, advancing as the Germans withdrew back towards the Hindenburg Line. On 3rd February 1917, just two months after joining the unit, William was wounded. Official records list the wound as “slight, remained on duty.” His mother, Helena Bourke, was informed by telegram that he had been wounded.
Less than two months later, William was killed in action at Lagnicourt in France. His mother wrote: “My son was a runner for the company and was killed while taking an important message from headquarters and is buried at headquarters which I believe was somewhere about Lagncourt(sic) as that was the day of the battle.”
The official records list the death as K.I.A., Artillery Fire. His age at the time of his death is recorded as 20 years and 8 months.
His mother had perhaps received a letter from William’s Commanding Officer or a mate relating the details of his death, and she was certain that he had been buried. Langincourt is located in the Somme Valley, near the more well known Bullecourt. In the years between William’s death and the armistice, this land would be fought over two more times, and sadly the grave of William Bourke, if it existed, was lost.
His mother wrote repeatedly to the authorities requesting information of her son’s resting place and requesting the return of any of his personal effects. Unfortunately she was not successful. Finally, six years after her son’s death, the family received William’s medals; The British Empire Medal and the Victory Medal. By this time the family had moved to the Summit, near Stanthorpe.
William Michael Bourke is commemorated on both the Oxley War Memorial and the Graceville War Memorial.
Courtesy of Ian Lang
Mango Hill