Edward William BOURKE
Year of Birth: c1891
Place of Birth: Coomera, Queensland, Australia
Date of Enlistment: 17 September 1914
Date and Place of Embarkation: 22 December 1914, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Ship: HMAT Ceramic A40
Rank: Private
Unit(s): 15th Battalion
Regimental Number: 110 and 3702
Died: 30 May 1915
Edward William Bourke enlisted in the A.I.F. on 17 September 1914 after having previously joined the Kennedy Regiment and embarked on the Kanowna for New Guinea earlier in the year. The ship returned to Townsville after the crew refused to proceed past Thursday Island due to the lack of fresh water, the reason the soldiers were called the “Dirty 500”. He was a member of the Yungaburra Rifle Club. Most of the recruits were members of one of the many rifle clubs in North Queensland.
On return to Townsville, Edward Bourke enlisted in the A.I.F. He said he was 23 years of age, born in Coomera, Queensland, although no record of his birth can be found in the Queensland Register of Births. He was described as 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed 152 pounds. He had a fresh complexion, dark grey eyes and light brown hair. He was Roman Catholic. He named his father his next of kin.
He embarked from Melbourne on 22 December 1914 on the HMAT Ceramic A40.
At Gallipoli he suffered gunshot wounds and was evacuated to the Hospital Ship Gascon on 30 May 1915 where he died and was buried at sea 3 miles off Gaba Tepe by Rev L. Warner. He is remembered on the Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli.
The staff of Gascon was made up from the Indian Medical Service medical officers, a Royal Army Medical Corps matron, Australian nursing sisters and Royal Army Corps and Indian Medical Service orderlies.
Online Resources
NAA: B2455 (BOURKE E W) National Archives of Australia
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
National Library of Australia: Trove Digitised Newspapers
Queensland Registrar of Births Deaths & Marriages
If you have a photograph or further information about this soldier you would like to share and add to his biography, please contact the Society at projects@cdfhs.org or leave a comment below. Thank you!