Pte
William Joseph Burkett

Informationen zu Geburt

Geburtsjahr:
1888
Geburtsort:
Double Bay, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Allgemeine Informationen

Beruf:
Arbeiter

Informationen zum Armeedienst

Land:
Australia
Truppe:
Australian Imperial Force
Rang:
Private
Dienstnummer:
6281
Einberufung datum:
24/10/1916
Einberufung ort:
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Einheiten:
 —  Australian Infantry, 17th Bn. (New South Wales)  (Letzte bekannte Einheit)

Informationen zu Tod

Sterbedatum:
20/09/1917
Sterbeort:
Anzac, Belgien
Todesursache:
Im Kampf gefallen
Alter:
29

Gedenkstätte

Auszeichnungen und Orden 2

British War Medal
Medaille
Victory Medal
Medaille

Punkte von Interesse 3

#1 Geburtsort
#2 Einberufung ort
#3 Ort des Todes (ungefähr)

Meine Geschichte

Private William Burkett served in the Australian Infantry 17th Battalion, part of the 5th Australian Brigade, of the 2nd Australian Division. He embarked from Sydney on the 11th of November 1916 on the troopship HMAT A29 Suevic. On the eve of autumn 1917 the 2nd Australian Division took part in the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge (20-25 September), a stage in the Third Battle of Ypres.

On the 20th of September 1917 the Division attacked from Westhoek Ridge. Its attack was carried by the 5th and 7th Australian Brigades and was aimed at the German line, which ran along a spur known as Anzac Ridge. The 5th Australian Brigade – on the left of the Divisional front - attacked with the 20th and 18th Battalions. The 17th Battalion was in support and had to capture the third and last objective, a line running from Garter point to polygon Wood.

In the early hours of the 20 September the 20th and 18th Battalions assembled at Westhoek Ridge, while the 17th assembled at Bellewaerde Ridge. The attack began at 5.40 a.m. And the 20th Battalion went forward behind a creeping barrage. Half an hour later the Battalion captured the first objective, the Red Line. The 18th Battalion moved through the 20th and captured the second objective, the Blue Line, by 07.40 a.m. Now the 17th started its advance.

In the muddy and desolate valley of the Hanebeek stream, the Battalion was shelled by the German artillery. Notwithstanding the shelling the 17th suffered only slight casualties and moved through the line of the 20th Battalion, and later through the 18th Battalion. Under cover of a barrage the 17th Battalion advanced to their objective, the Green Line, which was quickly occupied without opposition. When the Germans had recovered from the initial blow, they started shelling the area of the 17th Battalion, while German airplanes machine-gunned the men. Battalion Headquarters were relocated to a captured German pill-box at Garter point, due to the heavy shelling. The German artillery kept shelling the 17th Battalion’s positions throughout the afternoon, causing very heavy casualties.

Private William Burkett was killed during the attack on Anzac Ridge. According to his Red Cross Wounded and Missing File he was initially buried south of Anzac House, along with several other men of the 17th Battalion. His grave was lost later on and he is remembered on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.

Dateien 1

Quellen 8

"Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account", McCarthy C., London, Uniform, 2018, pg. 81-83.
Verwendete Quellen
"The Story of the Seventeenth Battalion A.I.F. in the Great War 1914-1918", Mackenzie K.W., Sydney, 1946, pg. 190-193.
Verwendete Quellen
AIF-project
https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/search
Verwendete Quellen
Australian War Memorial
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10282158
Verwendete Quellen
CWGC
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1598031/burkett,-william/
Verwendete Quellen
National Archives of Australia
http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/BasicSearch.aspx
Verwendete Quellen
The Long, Long Trail
http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/
Verwendete Quellen
War Diary A.I.F. 17th Bn.
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1338583
Verwendete Quellen