Regimental number | 1516 |
Place of birth | Cooktown Queensland |
School | Cairns State School, Queensland |
Other training | Chemist's assistant |
Religion | Church of England |
Occupation | Ironmonger |
Address | Martin Street, Cairns, Queensland |
Marital status | Single |
Age at embarkation | 25 |
Next of kin | Mother, Mrs Isabel Birch, Martin Street, Cairns, Queensland |
Previous military service | Nil |
Enlistment date | |
Rank on enlistment | Private |
Unit name | 25th Battalion, 1st Reinforcement |
AWM Embarkation Roll number | 23/42/2 |
Embarkation details | Unit embarked from Brisbane, Queensland, on board HMAT A60 Aeneas on |
Rank from Nominal Roll | Private |
Unit from Nominal Roll | 2nd Machine Gun Battalion |
Other details from Roll of Honour Circular | Enlisted 9 February 1915. Embarked from Brisbane, 7 July 1915. Taken on strength, 7th Machine Gun Company, 3 March 1916. Wounded in France and gassed, 17 June 1916. Discharged from hospital, Epsom, England, 17 July 1916. Promoted Acting Sergeant, Machine Gun Training Depot, 22 September 1916; CQMS, 18 May 1917. Gassed for the second time, 17 July 1918; wounded for the third time, 11 August 1918, at Mont St Quentin, France. Died of Broncho Pneumonia, France. |
Fate | Died of disease |
Place of death or wounding | 12th Casualty Clearing Station, France |
Date of death | |
Age at death | 29 |
Age at death from cemetery records | 29 |
Place of burial | Busigny Communal Cemetery, Extension (Plot VIII, Row A, Grave No. 49), France |
Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial | 175 |
Miscellaneous information from cemetery records | Parents: David and Isabella BIRCH, Martyn Street, Cairns, Queensland |
Family/military connections | Brothers: 5968 Pte James Lefeore BIRCH,26th Bn, returned to Australia; 713 Pte Albert V BIRCH, returned to Australia. |