BURKETT, William
| Service Number: | 6281 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 October 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 17th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1889 |
| Home Town: | Neutral Bay, North Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Convent of the Sacred Heart, Rose Bay, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Electrician |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 20 September 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 24 Oct 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 6281, 17th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Nov 1916: | Involvement Private, 6281, 17th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Suevic embarkation_ship_number: A29 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Nov 1916: | Embarked Private, 6281, 17th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suevic, Sydney |
Help us honour William Burkett's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
William Joseph Burkett was married to Minnie May in 1911 and had two infant children when he enlisted. He was living in Double Bay and his wife gave his trade as electrician which was a rare art in those times. Nothing was really known about his death and he was reported wounded and missing on the 20 September 1917. This was changed by a Court of Enquiry on 28 May 1918 to killed in action 20 September 1917. Minnie and her two sons were awarded a pension. Minnie received a notification from the YMCA in 1918 saying that her husband was "alive and well and with his unit" which proved to be incorrect.
There is some evidence that he was decently buried in the Red Cross files, “Re your list of missing men of the 17th Battalion. I will give you this further information concerning them. On the night of 23 September, I buried 5785 W. Bartlett, 6281 W. Burkett, 2173 J.L. Milthorpe, 6420 J. Smith, 6421 A.Thompson and I buried and wrote to the next of kin of 3596 Sgt. S. Oakley." 4661 Private W.H. Back 21st Battalion AIF.
His grave was never found and he remembered on the Menin Gate.