Reginald Burns (1916 - 1947)

Born 2 Jul 1916 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Lois Anita (Kettle) Burns — married 1941 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Died 5 May 1947 at age 30 in Samford, Queensland, Australia

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Biography

Reginald Burns was born on 2nd July 1916 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He was the son of Reginald Burns and Annie McCusker. ^[1]

Reginald is a Boys' Brigade King’s Man or Queen’s Man

In 1928, Reginald joined The Boys' Brigade in Ithaca Presbyterian Church. The fruit of his hard work and commitment was received in the form of The King's Badge (now known as The Queen's Badge), the highest award The Boys' Brigade has to offer young men. This he achieved in 1932 as one of five Boys from the 1st Brisbane Company. ^[2]

Reginald Burns is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Australian Army 1940-1945
61st Australian Infantry Battalion

On 27th August 1940 at Coorparoo, Reginald enlisted in the Australian Military Forces (Militia) for service within Australia during the Second World War. ^[3] He was allocated to the 61st Australian Infantry Battalion; the Queensland Cameron Highlanders. The 61st joined the rest of the 7th Brigade at Chermside, a northern suburb of Brisbane, for training camps of 70 to 90 days until full-time duty was introduced on 22nd September 1941. When Japan entered the war on 7th December 1941 the 7th Brigade prepared defensive positions at Caloundra. The brigade was deployed to Milne Bay, Papua (Papua being an Australian Territory until 1975) in 1942 with the 61st battalion arriving between 15th July and 8th August; deployed to defend the No. 3 airstrip at Gili Gili. When the Japanese made an amphibious landing at Milne Bay on 27th August, the 61st was first into action. Whilst the Japanese reached the edge of the airstrip the next day, the 61st supported by the 25th Battalion held them until early-morning 31st August when the Japanese charged the defences. The Japanese suffered heavily and withdrew. Milne Bay remained safely in Allied hands. The 61st Battalion remained at Milne Bay until March 1943, when it was transferred to Donadabu, near Port Moresby. It later garrisoned the Madang area before being transferred to Torokina in Bougainville, New Guinea (New Guinea was also an Australian Territory until merging with Papua in 1975 to form the nation of Papua New Guinea). When the Japanese counter-attacked during the battle of Slater's Knoll in March-April 1945, the battalion performed well and contributed once more to the defeat of the Japanese. ^[4] He was discharged 21st November 1945.

Whilst based at Chermside in 1941, Reginald married Lois Kettle. ^[5]

Tragically, Reginald and Lois were both killed in the Camp Mountain railway disaster near Samford, Queensland on 5th May 1947. ^[6][7] Their plaque, in the Mount Thompson Memorial Gardens reads:

The Camp Mountain rail accident occurred when a crowded picnic train derailed on a sharp left-hand curve between Ferny Grove and Camp Mountain stations on the now-closed Dayboro line. It was estimated that the train carried 215 passengers, most of them Department of Trade and Customs employees and their families for a family day out consisting of a picnic lunch with dancing and games of cricket. It remains the largest loss of life in a rail accident on the Queensland railway network with sixteen fatalities. ^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ Queensland Birth Index #1916/B/44832
2. ↑ The 1st Brisbane Association Honour Roll, Enoggera Terrace, Paddington, Queensland; sighted by Ken Evans 26 Mar 2018
3. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: Q28507 Coporal Reginald Burns; accessed 24 Sep 2019
4. ↑ Australian War Memorial unit record: 61st Australian Infantry Battalion; accessed 24 Sep 2019
5. ↑ Queensland Marriage Index #1941/B/45186
6. ↑ Queensland Death Index #1947/B/11376
7. ↑ Queensland Death Index #1947/B/11389
8. ↑ Wikipedia: Camp Mountain rail accident; accessed 24 Sep 2019