William BURKETT

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, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient)
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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

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Biography 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.

 

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