Ancestor Details
Ancestor's Name: Charles Frederick Burke
Ancestor's date of birth: 26/12/1878
Ancestor's date of death: 13/02/1957
Cause of Death: Old Age
Service and Life Before the Boer War: Born in Umballa, India
Service Number: 5803
Colony or State of enlistment: Not Australia, Place of Enlistment: Lancashire, England
Unit: 2nd Volunteer Active Service Coy, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
Rank attained in Boer War: PTE, Date Effective: On enlistment.
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): No post Boer War details provided.
Murray Page: Not applicable, did not serve in an Australian unit.
Contingent: Not applicable.
Ship: As no details were provided with the registration, teleport presumed.
Memorial details: Details not provided
Awards/Decorations/Commendations: Queen's South Africa Medal with Cape Colony, Transvaal, SA 1901, SA 1902
Personal Characteristics: Detail not provided
Reasons to go and fight: Detail not provided
Details of service in war: The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment was formed in 1881 as part of the Cardwell reforms of the British Army. The Regiment was formed initially with two battalions, the 1st Battalion being created from the former 47th Regiment of Foot, and the 2nd from the former 81st. The Regimental Depot was at Fulwood Barracks, Preston, creating a link which has continued unbroken to the present day. The Regiment recruited primarily from the towns of Central Lancashire, including Preston, Chorley, Bolton and Wigan. The 2nd Volunteer Active Service Company made up of volunteers usually in Militia or Volunteer Battalions in the UK volunteered for active service. It is believed that this company spent part of its time as mounted infantry. For most of its time it operated independently of the 1st Battalion of the Regiment and was under the command of Capt W Swindlehurst. Its duties were protecting the lines of communication and convoy protection mainly in Cape Colony and Transvaal. In early 1902 it was divided half the company going to Kuruman as garrison troops and the other half reinforcing the 1st Bn in Mafeking effectively this ended the coy as an independent entity and for that reason the OC was assigned administrative duties in Mafeking and that part of the company which Burke was in became part of the 1st Bn. There role here was to construct and man the blockhouses between Mafeking and Lichtenburg a distance of 55 kilometres. This difficult task was complete by early April 1902. After that they reinforced the block houses as required, convoy protection and some men were employed on the armoured trains.
Service and life after the Boer War: No post Boer War details provided.
Descendant Details
Name of Descendant: Benjamin Burke, Merriwa WA
Relationship to Ancestor: Son
