Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Donald Burns #45 25th Battalion

Don Burns was born in Glen Innes, NSW. By the time of his enlistment in February 1915, he reported he was living at Engelsburg (Now Kalbar) where he worked as a labourer. At this early stage of the war, enlistments were being handled at a local level. Don’s enlistment was accepted in Boonah on 2nd February 1915 by a Militia Captain who was also the supervisor of rifle clubs. Don gave his age as 27 years and named his father, Mr R. Burns of Boonah, as his next of kin.

After the initial surge of recruiting in 1914, the Australian government resolved to raise a second infantry division. Part of this 2nd Division would be the 7th Brigade, made up of battalions raised in Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia. The 25th Battalion was an all Queensland battalion with many of its number coming from regional areas of the state.

When Don marched into camp at Enoggera the day after enlisting, he was designated to be one of the first men taken on by the newly formed 25th, as his low regimental number attests. The next few months were taken up with training and drill while uniforms were issued. With preliminary training almost completed, the 25th Battalion along with three Queensland companies of the 26th Battalion and the 11th Light Horse marched from Alderley to the City and Fortitude Valley on 25th May. It was the largest contingent of Queenslanders to parade through the city and crowds flocked to vantage points along the route.

The battalion began making preparations for embarkation with sea kitbags being packed and final home leave granted. On 29th June, the 25th boarded the “Aneaus” at Pinkenba Wharf bound for Sydney and then Suez. After a brief stay in camp at Ismailia on the Suez Canal, the 25th boarded another transport at Alexandria on 4th September and landed at Anzac Cove on 11th September. The situation at ANZAC had changed dramatically since those first mad days in April. After the failed counter attacks by the Turks in May and June and the failed attacks by the Australians during August, the battle had descended into a stalemate. The 7th brigade was tasked with fatigue and beach party duties with occasional periods in the line at Courtney’s Post for the next two months.

Don remained on Gallipoli until late November. The weather had turned bringing driving flooding rain and snow. Don was evacuated from a casualty clearing station on the peninsula by hospital ship to the Australian General Hospital at Heliopolis near Cairo. His initial diagnosis of jaundice was amended to one of colitis. Don was discharged from hospital on 28th December and reported to a base depot.
On 31st December (the date is significant) Don was arrested drunk in the town. He was fined 2 shillings and sixpence.

On 2nd February 1916, Don was admitted to the dermatological hospital in Cairo with VD. The authorities had discovered that the Cairo sex workers were infected with a particularly virulent strain of syphilis and men would require long periods of hospital treatment. VD patients had their pay stopped for the period they were in the VD ward as VD was considered a self-inflicted malady. Don would spend 31 days in total in hospital and as a consequence did not depart for France and the Western Front when the 25th sailed for Marseilles. Instead, Don remained in Egypt until August when he was sent to the 7th Training Battalion at Rollestone in England.

Don fell foul of the ANZAC Police in England when he was found drunk in the town, so drunk in fact that he was incapable of carrying out his movement orders which would have seen him joining the 25th in France. For his crime, Don was sentenced to 28 days detention in the guard house. He finally rejoined his battalion on 14th September 1916. The 25th at that time were in a rest area in Flanders recovering from significant casualties received at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm in July and August.

Don’s record contains no entries for the next 10 months and it is presumed he took part in a number of actions at Flers and Bullecourt. In May of 1917, the 25th again went into reserve for training and reinforcements in preparations for being sent into the line during the Ypres Campaign. In June 1917, Don was transported to the Bath War Hospital with trench fever. On discharge he was granted a two week furlough in England before reporting to the depot at Perham Downs. Don recrossed the Channel in early November 1917 and rejoined the 25th Battalion which had just come out of a rest period and was on rotation on the firing line around Ploegsteert Wood.
The battalion war diary records that on 12th December, the men voted in the second conscription plebiscite with an afternoon of sports to follow. The next day the battalion moved into a new camp at Romarin, right on the border between France and Belgium from which salvage and work parties went out each night. On Christmas eve the battalion relieved a sister battalion in the front line. The war diary does not record any unusual activity on Christmas Day but Don’s records show that he was killed in action on 25th December 1917.

There is no record of Don’s fate, although reports in the war diary record some trench mortar barrages on forward posts. Don’s remains were never recovered. His name is recorded on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres (Iper) among the almost 50,000 British and Dominion troops who died in Belgium and have no known grave.

To honour this sacrifice, the people of Ypres have conducted a memorial service every evening since the memorial was dedicated in 1923.

Don’s father never completed the Roll of Honour Circular nor did he make any enquiries through the Red Cross as to the circumstances surrounding his son’s death. By the time that medals and memorial plaques were being distributed to next of kin, Don’s father was living in Toowoomba.