Kenora Great War Project

 

Personal Details
Date of BirthDecember 4, 1884
Place of BirthBerwick on Tweed
CountryEngland
Marital StatusSingle
Next of KinEllen Burke, mother, 82 Douglas Terrace, Newcastle on Tyne, England
Trade / CallingDecorator
ReligionChurch of England
Service Details
Regimental Number42021
Service RecordLink to Service Record
Battalion3rd Brigade
ForceCanadian Expeditionary Force
BranchCanadian Field Artillery
Enlisted / ConscriptedEnlisted
Place of EnlistmentValcartier, Quebec
Date of EnlistmentDecember 24, 1914
Age at Enlistment30
Theatre of ServiceEurope
Prisoner of WarNo
Survived WarNo
Death Details
Date of DeathMarch 6, 1956
Age at Death71

Burke, Thomas

Thomas Burke was born on 4 December 1884 in Berwick on Tweed (aka Berwick), Northumberland in England. His father Martin Burke was from Tweedmouth (now a part of Berwick) and his mother Ellen Blondin was from Berwick, the couple marrying in 1879 in Berwick. At the time of the 1881 census the family was living in Tweedmouth where Martin was working as a fisherman and by the 1891 they were in Blaydon, Winlaton in Durham. At some point they moved to Newcastle upon Tyne, the 1901 census giving Martin’s occupation as iron dresser and Thomas’ as painter. Known children born to the family as evidenced by the censuses were William, Mary, Thomas, Margaret (Maggie), Annie, George, John, Katie, Peter, and Robert.

With service #39949, Thomas signed his attestation papers with the Imperial Yeomanry on 4 January 1902 in Newcastle upon Tyne. His occupation was given as painter and his father Martin in Newcastle as next of kin. After training in Britain, Thomas served in South Africa with the 127th Company 28th Battalion from 1 April to 18 November 1902. Following discharge at his request on 25 November 1902, he was later awarded the Queen’s South Africa medal.

Thomas immigrated to Canada in 1911 aboard the Canada, a painter on his way to Montreal, Quebec. Making his way to Kenora in northwestern Ontario, the local Miner and News newspaper had articles in late August of 1914, cheering on the volunteers as they left by train for Valcartier camp to enlist for duty overseas. A Thomas Burke was cited on the list. With occupation given as decorator and his mother Ellen back in Newcastle as next of kin, he signed his attestation papers on 24 September at Valcartier. That fall he embarked for England with the Brigade Staff, 3rd Battery Canadian Field Artillery.

Thomas served for the duration of the war with the 3rd Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery. Embarking from Avonmouth in Bristol, England on 11 February 1915, the Kenora paper of 17th of February announced their arrival in France. On 1 March, in the field, Thomas was promoted to Bombardier. In early December of 1916 he was granted a two week leave. In early February of 1917 he was promoted to Corporal. That November Thomas was granted a second two week leave, returning on 11 December. Suffering from PUO (fever of unknown origin), in the spring of 1918 Thomas was hospitalized a couple of times in France, latterly at the No 3 Canadian General Hospital in Boulogne in June. With the end of the war he was struck off strength to the Canadian Artillery Pool in LeHavre on 25 April 1919 and arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia aboard the Regina on 24 July. He was discharged from service on demobilization on the 26th in Toronto, rank of Corporal.

For the 1921 census Thomas was living in Thornhill, Ontario, just north of Toronto. At the time he was working as a decorator and lodging with the Alexander and Margaret (Dias) Henderson family. Both born in Scotland, Alexander, a plumber, had immigrated to Canada in May of 1910, with Margaret following in August of 1911, on her way to Alexander to be married. The connection unknown, a 1923 citation in Thomas’ record gave Alexander in Thornhill as a contact. Over the years Thomas remained in Thornhill working as a decorator/painter, retired by a 1953 Voters list. The Hendersons also remained in Thornhill.

According to his Veteran death card, Thomas died on 3 March 1956. His next of kin on the card was given as Mrs Alexander Henderson of Brook Street in Thornhill. Thomas’ final resting place is unknown.

By Judy Thorburn

Research note: When enlisting in Valcartier, the place of residence was not given upon attestation. There is no physical proof of Thomas living in Kenora but given the newspaper articles he is the only Thomas Burke that attested at Valcartier and went overseas early in the war.


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