| Regimental number | 1682 |
| Place of birth | West Maitland, New South Wales |
| School | Marist Brothers College, West Maitland, New South Wales |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Occupation | Labourer |
| Address | Carrington Street, West Maitland, New South Wales |
| Marital status | Single |
| Age at embarkation | 21 |
| Height | 5' 9" |
| Weight | 167 lbs |
| Next of kin | Mother, Mrs Katherine Bourke, Carrington Street, West Maitland, New South Wales |
| Previous military service | Served in the Compulsory Military Training scheme; and 4 years with the 14th Infantry, Citizen Military Forces. |
| Enlistment date | |
| Place of enlistment | West Maitland, New South Wales |
| Rank on enlistment | Private |
| Unit name | 30th Battalion, 2nd Reinforcement |
| AWM Embarkation Roll number | 23/47/2 |
| Embarkation details | Unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A35 Berrima on |
| Rank from Nominal Roll | Private |
| Unit from Nominal Roll | 30th Battalion |
| Other details from Roll of Honour Circular | Tried twice to enlist but was turned down; on the third attempt was accepted, but was rejected in Egypt for active service. Went into hospital and was eventually passed as fit for service and was posted to the training battalion. Appointed to the staff as Sergeant but handed in his stripes to go to France, where he joined the remnants of the old 30th Bn. (details from mother) |
| Fate | Killed in Action |
| Date of death | |
| Age at death | 22.1 |
| Age at death from cemetery records | 22 |
| Place of burial | Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery (Plot III, Row B, Grave No 5), France |
| Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial | 116 |
| Miscellaneous information from cemetery records | Parents: Richard and Catherine BOURKE, Carrington Street, West Maitland, New South Wales |
| Other details |
War service: Egypt, Western Front Embarked Sydney, 17 December 1915; disembarked Suez, 23 January 1916. Taken on strength, 30th Bn, Ferry Post, 20 April 1916, and reverted to Private. Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 16 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 23 June 1916. Missing, 20 July 1916. 'Identification Disc received from Germany. No particulars were afforded except that Soldier was deceased. May now be reported "KILLED IN ACTION" 20/7/16.' Communication from Berlin (file p. 17): 'austr. Sold. Bourke, Harold John 30. Batl. gefallen am 19.7.16 in Gegend Fromelles gefallen'. Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal Red Cross File No 470404 has statement by 383 Pte R.H. CLARKE, 30th Bn (patient, No 1 Canadian General Hospital), 24 November 1916: 'He was a cousin of mine. Pte Sharp of B. Coy told me that he had seen him wounded in the German trenches when we went acrosss at Fromelles.' Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal Originally listed as 'No Known Grave' and commemorated at V.C. Corner (Panel No 2), Australian Cemetery, Fromelles; subsequently (2010) identified, and interred in the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, France. |
| Sources | NAA: B2455, BOURKE Harold John
Red Cross file 470404 |
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