BURKE, Harold
| Service Numbers: | 611, Commissioned |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 15 August 1914, Place of enlistment - Eastern Hill, Melbourne Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Captain |
| Last Unit: | 5th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | St Kilda, Victoria, Australia, 15 August 1893 |
| Home Town: | St Kilda, Port Phillip, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Melbourne C of E Grammar School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Shellfire, France, 23 August 1918, aged 25 years |
| Cemetery: |
Cerisy-Gailly Military Cemetery Plot II, Row A, Grave 19. Inscription - "SOLDAT SANS PEUR ET SANS REPROCHE TOMBE SUR LE CHAMP D'HONNEUR" - translation "FEARLESS AND UNREPROACHABLE SOLDIER FALLS ON THE FIELD OF HONOR" |
| Memorials: | Melbourne Grammar School WW1 Fallen Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 15 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 611, 5th Infantry Battalion, Place of enlistment - Eastern Hill, Melbourne Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 611, 5th Infantry Battalion, Embarked on HMAT 'A3' Orvieto from Melbourne on 21st October, 1914, disembarking Egypt. After a period of training in Egypt he embarked to take part in the Gallipoli Campaign. He landed with his battalion on 25 April 1915 as part of the second wave. After the withdrawal from Gallipoli and return to Egypt, Burke sailed for France and the Western Front in March 1916 with 5th Infantry Battalion. | |
| 25 Apr 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 611, 5th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 9 May 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 5th Infantry Battalion | |
| 18 Aug 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 5th Infantry Battalion | |
| 3 Sep 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 5th Infantry Battalion | |
| 12 Mar 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 5th Infantry Battalion | |
| 1 Aug 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Captain, 5th Infantry Battalion | |
| 27 Oct 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Captain, 2nd Infantry Training Battalion, Served as Adjutant from 12th December 1916 until 14th January 1917. | |
| 8 Jun 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Captain, 5th Infantry Battalion | |
| 16 Sep 1917: | Wounded Commissioned, 5th Infantry Battalion, Slight gunshot wound to hand | |
| 20 Sep 1917: | Honoured Military Cross, "During the operations east of YPRES on 20th September 1917 Captain BURKE was in charge of the right support Company. Under heavy shelling, in the absence of the leading Company Commander who had been wounded, this officer, regardless of personal danger, reorganised the right flank of the Battalion. At a critical moment he reorganised men of another Battalion who were in rear and sent them forward to their objective and established a Strong Point in a sound tactical position under heavy fire, At all times he displayed sound judgment and good leadership." | |
| 23 Aug 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Captain, Commissioned, 5th Infantry Battalion, "The Last Hundred Days", --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: awm_unit: 5 Battalion awm_rank: Captain awm_died_date: 1918-08-23 |
Recommended for the Military Cross
"During the operations east of YPRES on 20th September 1917 Captain BURKE was in charge of the right support Company. Under heavy shelling, in the absence of the leading Company Commander who had been wounded, this officer, regardless of personal danger, reorganised the right flank of the Battalion. At a critical moment he reorganised men of another Battalion who were in rear and sent them forward to their objective and established a Strong Point in a sound tactical position under heavy fire, At all times he displayed sound judgment and good leadership."
Submitted 14 November 2023 by Steve Larkins
Biography contributed by Sharyn Roberts
Awarded Military Cross
'Powers of leadership and organization at critical time, enabling valuable services to be rendered by Company. Also personal courage and devotion to duty.'
Son of George John and Anne Gertrude (nee Daly) BURKE of 37 Brighton Road St Kilda.
Brother of
- Lieutenant Maurice Francis BURKE - , returned to Australia 1919 (born 1885) Married Hilda Florence Derry at St Mary's Church Fulham, England on 17th December 1918, Vicar C Bradshaw Foy officiating. Maurice Burke was a committee member, honorary treasurer, and a trustee of the Melbourne Athenaeum Library.
- Sister Lalah Mary "Sally" BURKE - Australian Army Nursing Service, returned to Australia 13th April 1919 (born 1887)
- Major Edmund Louis "Teddy" BURKE (MC) - 4th Field Artillery Brigade, returned to Australia 4th September 1919 (born 1896) Edmund entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon on 9 March 1913 and graduated, along with the rest of his class, early on 28 June 1915.
Biography contributed by Steve Larkins
Harold BURKE (1893-1918)
Extract from Service record
Born to George and Annie Gertrude BURKE, of 37 Brighton Road, St. Kilda, Victoria on 15 August 1893
Embarked Alxandria to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force 5 April 1915.
Admitted to No 1 Stationary Hospial, Lemnos, 23 April 1915 (phorangitis); discharged to unit, 30 April 1915.
Promoted Corporal, 9 May 1915.
Promoted Sergeant, 18 August 1915.
Promoted 2nd Lieutenant, 3 September 1916.
Admitted to 2nd Field Ambulance, 24 October 1915 (jaundice), and transferred same day to No 1 Canadian Stationary Hospital, Mudros, and then to No 2 Stationary Hospital, Mudros (jaundice); rejoined unit, Lemnos, 15 December 1915.
Disembarked Alexandria from Lemnos, 7 January 1916 (general Gallipoli evacuation).
Detached to School of Instruction, Zeitoun, 20 February 1916; rejoined unit, 5 March 1916, having completed the Machine Gun course as 1st Class Instructor.
Promoted Lieutenant, 12 March 1916.
Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 25 March 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 30 March 1916.
Admitted to 7th Field Ambulance, 6 July 1916 (orchitis), and transferred same day to 2nd Casualty Clearing Station; to 14th General Hospital, Avineroux, 7 July 1916; to 18th General Hospital (Venereal Disease Section), Camiers, 8 July 1916; to 39th General Hospital, Havre, 9 July 1916 (epididymitis); discharged to duty, 23 August 1916; total period of treatment: 42 days.
Promoted Captain, 1 August 1916.
Transferred to England, and posted for duty as Adjutant with 2nd Training Bn, 27 October 1916.
Admitted to Fargo Military Hospital, 21 April 1917 (pneumonia); discharged to duty, 15 May 1917.
Proceeded overseas to France, 31 May 1917; rejoined unit, in the field, 8 June 1917.
Admitted to 1st Field Ambulance, 1 July 1917 (pharyngitis), and transferred same day to 56th Casualty Clearing Station, and thence to Ambulance Train No 29; transferred to 39th General Hospital, Havre, 4 July 1917; discharged to Base Depot, Havre, 20 August 1917; rejoined unit, in the field, 26 August 1917.
Wounded in action, 16 September 1917 (shrapnel wound, right hand: slight), and admitted to 6th Field Ambulance; rejoined unit same day.
Awarded Military Cross.
On leave to United Kingdom, 7 January 1918; rejoined unit from leave, 21 January 1918.
Admitted to 1st Field Ambulance, 21 March 1918 (pyrexia, unknown origin), and transferred same day to 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station; to 2nd Casualty Clearing Station, 17 March 1918; to 5th British Red Cross Hospital, Boulogne, 18 March 1918 (trench fever); rejoined Bn, in the field, 29 March 1918.
Killed in action, 23 August 1918.
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