The AIF Project

Robert BURNS

Regimental number1945
Place of birthBelfast, Co Antrim, Ireland
ReligionChurch of England
OccupationLabourer
Address17 Essex Street, Fremantle, Western Australia
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation29
Height5' 8.75"
Weight151 lbs
Next of kinFather, James Burns, 17 Essex Street, Fremantle, Western Australia
Previous military serviceServed for 12 Years in the Royal Garrison Artillery; time expired 8 February 1912.
Enlistment date10 March 1916
Place of enlistmentNewcastle, New South Wales
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name36th Battalion, 2nd Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/53/2
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A15 Port Sydney on 4 September 1916
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Unit from Nominal Roll33rd Battalion
FateReturned to Australia 8 July 1919
Discharge date19 September 1919
Other details

War service: Western Front

Embarked, Sydney, 4 September 1916; disembarked, Plymouth, England, 29 October 1916; absent without leave from 9th Training Bn, 29 October 1916; absent without leave from, 20 December 1916 (12 days); marched into Perham Downs Command Depot from absent without leave, 4 January 1917; marched in from Tidworth Hospital to 9th Training Bn, 11 January 1917; reported absent (administrative headquarters queried for particulars of disciplinary action taken re above and in reply state no information available or can be obtained), 2 February 1917.

Found guilty, 20 February 1917, of (1) being absent without leave from 2 pm, 19 February 1917, until 8:15 am, 20 February 1917, Dewsey; (2) absent without leave from 8 pm, 25 February 1917, until 7pm, 26 February 1917, Boulogne, France: awarded 14 days' Field Punishment No. 2; forfeits 4 days' pay.

Marched into 3rd Australian Divisional Base Depot, Etaples France, 28 February 1917; marched out to unit, 3 March 1917; taken on strength of 36th Bn.

To Hospital (sick), 20 May 1917; rejoined Bn from Hospital, 12 May 1917.

Field General Court Martial, held in the field, 31 August 1917, charges: (1) when on actives service, deserting His Majesty's Service, in that he at Nieppe on, 6 June 1917, when his company had been detailed for an important military operation absented himself from his Bn until after the said operation had been completed, that is to say, until apprehended by the Military Police at Nieppe at 6:35 pm, 11 June 1917; (2) when on active service, when in lawful custody, escaping in that he In the Field on the night of, 21/22 June 1917, while a prisoner being escorted to the trenches did escape from the guard at Boulogne at 1 am, 10 July 1917; (3) When on active service, when in confinement, escaping, in that he on, 22 July 1917, in the vicinity of Neive Eglise, when in confinement, escaping and remained absent until apprehended by the Military Police at Calais at 3pm, 29 July 1917: found not guilty of (1) but guilty of desertion, guilty of (2) and (3): sentenced to 2 years' imprisonment with hard labor.

To Military Prison, Vendroux, 6 September 1917; admitted to No. 7 Military Prison, Vendroux, to serve sentence 2 years in hard labour, 19 September 1918; escaped from work party, Dunkirk, 17 January 1918.

Court of Enquiry held at No. 10 Military Prison, Dunkirk, on, 17 January 1918, declared that the soldier illegally absented himself by escaping from a work party of Royal Naval Air Service on, 17 January 1918, and that he is still absent.

Re-admitted to Prison from absence without leave, 12 February 1918.

To Hospital (sick), from Prison, 21 February 1918; re-admitted to Prison from hospital, 8 March 1918.

Admitted to Hospital (pyrexia of uncertain origin), from Prison, 19 July 1918, discharged to No. 10 Military Prison, 29 July 1918; discharged from Prison, remainder of sentence suspended from date of entraining to join unit at the front, 29 January 1919; transferred to and taken on strength of 33rd Bn, 30 January 1919.

Found guilty, Chepy, 14 April 1919, of (1) being absent without leave from 11 am, 9 April 1919, to 8 pm, 10 April 1919: awarded 7 days' Field Punishment No. 2; forfeits 9 days' pay.

Proceeded to England.

Found guilty, London, England, 17 April 1919, of (1) being absent without leave from 3pm, 17 April 1919, until, 1:30 pm, 12 May 1919; (2) being in possession of another soldier's pass: awarded 27 days' detention; forfeits 52 days' pay.

Marched out to Lewes Detention Barracks, 24 May 1919; admitted to Lewes Detention Barracks from London, 24 May 1919; discharged from Lewes Detention Barracks, to No. 3 Group, 16 June 1919; marched into No. 3 Group from Lewes Detention Barracks, 17 June 1919.

Commenced return to Australia on board HT 'Freidrichsruh', 18 July 1919; absent without leave from 4 pm, 30 August 1919 , at Adelaide, failed to re-embark, 1 September 1919; embarked, Adelaide, on board HT 'Delta' and placed under arrest, 1 September 1919; disembarked, Sydney, 4 September 1919; discharged, Sydney, 19 September 1919.

Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, BURNS Robert

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