John Benjamin Bourke MM (1914 - 1979)

Biography

John Benjamin Bourke MM was born on 2nd January 1914 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He was the second son of Daniel Bourke and Ellen Phillips. ^[1]

On 4th November 1939 John enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force for military service during the Second World War. ^[2] He was posted to the 2/1st Australian Infantry Battalion, 16th Brigade, 6th Division. Following basic training at Ingleburn, in Greater Sydney's outer south west, the entire division embarked for the Middle East on 10th January 1940, disembarking in Egypt on 13th February. The brigade trained in Palestine until the end of August, when it moved to Egypt to carry out its final preparations for active service. The 2/1st Battalion's first campaign was the advance from Egypt into eastern Libya in January-February 1941, being involved in the attacks to capture Bardia (3-5th January) and Tobruk (21-22nd January), before being left to garrison Tobruk as the advance continued.

It left Tobruk on 7th March, bound for Greece with the rest of the 6th Division. There, the division became part of the New Zealand and Australian Corps, making John a true ANZAC. The battalion was soon deployed north to resist the anticipated German invasion, occupying positions at Veria on 7th April but, in the face of superior German force, it began a long withdrawal south on 12th April and was evacuated by sea from Megara on 25th April – ANZAC Day. The battalion landed on Crete the next day and was subsequently deployed to defend the critical airfield at Retimo. The German airborne invasion of Crete began on 20th May but a tenacious defence denied them Retimo airfield until 30th May. German victories elsewhere on Crete, however, allowed them to concentrate overwhelming force against Retimo and, short of rations and ammunition, the 2/1st surrendered and became prisoners of war. ^[3] John became a prisoner-of-war (POW), held in Germany in Stalag XIII-C at Hammelburg, Bavaria and Stalag IV-D/Z at Torgau, Saxony. ^[4][5] The latter was a repatriation camp for POWs waiting to be either exchanged or returned home on medical grounds. Upon repatriation to Australia in September 1944 he was posted to B Sub. Headquarters Australia Kit Store and demobilised on 20th July 1945. ^[2] He was awarded the 1939-1945 Star, Africa Star, War Medal 1939-1945 and Australia Service Medal 1939-1945. He settled at 61 Waterloo Street, Surry Hills, in Sydney's inner southern suburbs. ^[6]

He was awarded the Military Medal (MM) for 'remarkable coolness, continuous bravery and devotion'; gazetted on 25th September 1947. The medal was presented to John at Government House, Sydney on 15th March 1950 by the Governor of New South Wales, Lieutenant General Sir John Northcott. ^[6][7]

Aged 65 years, John passed away in 1979 in New South Wales. ^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ New South Wales Birth Index #133/1914
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: NX7670 Private John Bourke; accessed 25 May 2021
3. ↑ Australian War Memorial unit record: 2/1st Australian Infantry Battalion; accessed 2 Jan 2022
4. ↑ Australian War Memorial recovered prisoners of war rolls; accessed 2 Jan 2022
5. ↑ Prisoner of War Memorial Ballarat: POW number 09968; accessed 2 Jan 2022
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Australian War Memorial honours and awards (recommendation): Military Medal; accessed 25 May 2021
7. ↑ Australian War Memorial honours and awards: Military Medal; accessed 25 May 2021
8. ↑ New South Wales Death Index #721/1979