The AIF Project

Henry Edgar BURNICLE

Regimental number2116
Place of birthBalmain, New South Wales
SchoolSmith St Public School, Balmain, New South Wales
ReligionChurch of England
OccupationSeaman
Address47 Union Street, Pyrmont, New South Wales
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation21
Height5' 8.75"
Weight130 lbs
Next of kinMother, Mrs. E.A. Burnicle, 167 Evans Street, Rozelle, New South Wales
Previous military serviceNil
Enlistment date3 May 1915
Date of enlistment from Nominal Roll5 May 1915
Place of enlistmentLiverpool, New South Wales
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name13th Battalion, 6th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/30/2
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A62 Wandilla on 14 June 1915
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Unit from Nominal Roll13th Battalion
FateKilled in Action 22 August 1915
Place of death or woundingLone Pine, Gallipoli
Date of death22 August 1915
Age at death20
Age at death from cemetery records21
Place of burialNo known grave
Commemoration detailsThe Lone Pine Memorial (Panel 37), Gallipoli, Turkey

The Lone Pine Memorial, situated in the Lone Pine Cemetery at Anzac, is the main Australian Memorial on Gallipoli, and one of four memorials to men of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Designed by Sir John Burnet, the principal architect of the Gallipoli cemeteries, it is a thick tapering pylon 14.3 metres high on a square base 12.98 metres wide. It is constructed from limestone mined at Ilgardere in Turkey.

The Memorial commemorates the 3268 Australians and 456 New Zealanders who have no known grave and the 960 Australians and 252 New Zealanders who were buried at sea after evacuation through wounds or disease. The names of New Zealanders commemorated are inscribed on stone panels mounted on the south and north sides of the pylon, while those of the Australians are listed on a long wall of panels in front of the pylon and to either side. Names are arranged by unit and rank.

The Memorial stands over the centre of the Turkish trenches and tunnels which were the scene of heavy fighting during the August offensive. Most cemeteries on Gallipoli contain relatively few marked graves, and the majority of Australians killed on Gallipoli are commemorated here.

Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
68
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Parents: Henry and Elizabeth BURNICLE, 167 Evans Street, Rozelle, New South Wales. Native of Balmain
Other details

War service: Egypt, Gallipoli

Taken on strength, 13th Bn, Gallipoli, 2 August 1915.

Reported missing in action, 22 August 1915. Court of Enquiry, Serapeum, Egypt, 28 April 1916, determined fate as 'killed in action'. Witness statement dated 23 February 1916, from 176 Pte A. HUSSEY and 1937 Pte E. DAVENPORT: 'About 22nd August, No 5 Platoon of B. Coy, 13th Battalion, was going out to a charge in the vicinity of Hill 971. A big shell came over and fell amongst the men, many of whom were killed while others were wounded. The men had bombs in their pockets and these were heard to explode during the course of the fire. The ground on which the men fell was behind the Australian lines since the Turkish trenches taken were held. Stretcher bearers tried to get to the men, but this was impossible owing to the enemy's fire and the flames. Only four men of the 5th Platoon came out of the charge. Burnicle was amongst the men who fell and all of them must have either been killed by the shell, burnt to death, or blown to pieces by the bombs which they were carrying.'

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

On 9 August 1916, Base Records, Melbourne, wrote to the Assistant Adjutant General, 2nd Military District, advising that attempts to contact Burnicle's mother at her Pyrmont address had been unsuccessful, and suggesting that an advertisement be placed in the newspaper to trace her. She contacted Base Records by letter on 23 August and again on 30 August, after seeing an advertisement in the newspaper, and advised them of her Rozelle address, adding 'If you have news of my son I beg you will forward the same without any further delay as each day keeps me in further suspense.' whereupon, on 30 August, Base Records informed her by letter of her son's death the previous August. His mother wrote to Base Records, 20 May 1922: 'I received your letter on 20th April and desire to state that I received a copy of the graves some time back & a letter to say that you could not find where my boy lies. However a young fellow who has lately come back said that he was killed at the bottom of the Sphinx a little to the right of Watson's Pier on the Sulva (sic) Bay side & they put a cross up just where it was. Do for God's sake see if you can find it as I am his widowed mother.'

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