Pte 52112 John Francis Burke

• Age: 20
• From: Manchester
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

John Francis Burke was born in 1896 in Manchester, and was the eldest son of John and Bridget (nee Philbin)Burke who were married in 1887.

The 1901 census shows John living at 9 Simpson Street, Manchester with his father John who is 34 and employed as a picture frame manufacturer, also his mother 34 year old Bridget. He has a 1 year old brother Edward. The household also has two boarders.

By 1911, the family are living at 40 Stanley Street, Cheetham, Manchester. John Francis (who according to his war record is known as Frank) is 14 and is working as a shop assistant in a stationery shop. His father is aged 44, a picture frame dealer, working for himself. His mother aged 44 is recorded as having borne six children, two of whom have sadly died, the other four are still living at home. As well as Frank, there’s Edward 11, William aged 8 and Catherine aged 4, all born Manchester. Also living with the family are a 72 year old aunt Bridget Armstrong, a 14 year old nephew Peter Marshall and three boarders.

Frank was serving in the 19th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 52112 when he was killed in action on 31st July 1917 on the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as the Battle of Passchendaele.

The 19th Battalion started the day in Divisional Reserve but were called forward in the early morning of 31st July and reached Maple Copse in late afternoon. It was originally detailed to continue with the morning’s attack but this was cancelled and they eventually relieved a Battalion of the 53rd Brigade in the newly captured line, sustaining casualties from shell fire.

The Battalion was relieved on the night of 3rd/4th August.

Although not actively engaged in the assault the Battalion lost 26 men were killed or died of wounds with four officers and 101 men wounded.

Frank's body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

He was reported killed in action in the Weekly Casualty List 11^th Sept 1917

King's(Liverpool Regiment) - Burke 52112 J. F. (Cheetham);

Soldiers Effects to father John, Pension to mother Bridget.

His father died, aged 53, in 1919.

The 1921 census shows Bridget is widowed. She died, aged 70, in 1937.

We currently have no further information on John Francis Burke. If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.