LIEUTENANT FELIX GREGORY BURNS MC
4744 – 2nd Tunnelling Company
Born in Zeehan, Tasmania on 11 April 1894, Felix (Phil) Gregory Burns was living in Williamsford, Tasmania when he signed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’ on 18 February 1916 at Claremont, Tasmania. Aged just 22 years and 9 months, he listed his trade as Mining Engineer and named his father, Felix Arthur Burns, of Williamsford, Tasmania, as his Next of Kin.
He listed previous service with the 8th Battery, Field Artillery at Windsor, Victoria.
Phil underwent a medical examination which found him to be ‘fit for active service’, and signed the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ also on 18 February.
The examination recorded that he was 5ft 8ins tall and weighed 165 lbs. He had a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark hair. He was appointed to No.5 Tunnelling Company at Broadmeadows, Victoria on 29 April.
Phil embarked on A69 HMAT Warilda with No. 5 Tunnelling Company 1st Reinforcements from Melbourne on 25th May 1916 holding the rank of Sergeant on the voyage from Australia.
Two Sections of the Northern recruits to form the No.4 Company had embarked from Brisbane, Queensland early in May, 1916 aboard HMAT A69 Warilda for Sydney, New South Wales (NSW). Six officers and 152 other ranks together with the 1st Reinforcements of fifteen other ranks made up the two sections.
At Rosebery Park, Sydney, NSW they joined their Headquarters and two sections (8 officers & 153 O.Rs.) plus 1st Reinforcements consisting of one officer and seventeen other ranks for final training.
The 7713-ton transport departed Sydney, NSW on May 22, 1916 and collected in Melbourne, Victoria the No.5 Company recruited from Victoria, South Australia & Tasmania consisting of a Headquarters and 2 Sections (8 officers & 173 men) (3 M.D.). 1 Section from Tasmania (3 officers & 76 O.Rs); also 1st Reinforcements for No.5 Company (17 men from Vic. & 8 men Tas.) The ship departed on May 25, 1916 for Adelaide, S.A. to collect one Section of 3 officers & 76 O.Rs with 1st Reinforcements of 8 O.Rs.
Docking at Fremantle, W.A. on June 1, 1916 No.6 Company recruited from W.A. of 14 officers and 325 O.Rs along with 1st Reinforcements of 1 Officer & 32 O.Rs embarked and Warilda departed the same day for the European theatre.
Durban, South Africa was reached on June 16, 1916 and Cape Town on June 21, 1916 while St Vincent completed the African ports of call on July 7, 1916. Discipline was fairly good except at intermediate ports where soldiers going Absent Without Leave caused concern. The fifty-eight day voyage experienced remarkable pleasant weather and terminated at Plymouth, England on July 18, 1916. Four, Five and Six Companies comprising of 1064 officers and other ranks were detrained to Amesbury and Tidworth to begin training for the front.
After training at Perham Downs, Felix proceeded overseas to France on 28 August 1916 being accepted into the 2nd Australian Divisional Base Depot on 30 August. He was transferred to the 1st Anzac Reinforcement Camp on 12 October and was then moved to the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion on 16 October. He was then attached to the 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company on 26 October 1916 for training in tunnelling operations on the Western Front.
He was transferred to and taken on strength of the 2nd Aust Tunnelling Company on 26 January 1917.
On 30 Jan 1918 he marched out to attend the Engineers School in England and on 10 February he was selected to attend the Engineers Cadet course at Royal Engineers Training Centre, Kelsham Hall, Newark.
On 1 June Felix Gregory Burns was appointed a 2nd Lieutenant in the A.I.F and posted to Engineer Field Company Reinforcements. He again proceeded overseas to France, leaving from Southampton on 5 July, and re-joined the 2nd Tunnelling Company, being again taken on strength as a 2nd Lieutenant on 13 July.
In August 1918 2ATC handed over its remaining construction tasks in for the defence of Amiens to the 256th Tunnelling Company R.E. and 1ATC and moved Headquarters from Allonville Wood to Calgy. Secret Orders were received to join the imminent attack by the Fourth Army. The Tunnellers were attached to the Divisional Field Company of Engineers to investigate suitable dugouts for brigade and battalion headquarters, clear them of booby traps and landmines, then explore the locality for further underground accommodation, booby traps, land mines and water supplies. Four investigation parties of 1 Officer, 3 Non-Commissioned Officers and 12 Sappers were formed with the party lead by Lt Felix Burns being attached to the 8th Field Company (5th Australian Division).
The Australian War Memorial, Honours and Awards section, records that on the 29th and 30th of September, 1918, elements of the 1st and 2nd Australian Tunnelling Companys, supporting the Infantry attack on the Hindenberg Line at Bellicourt and Bony, were awarded 10 Military Crosses, 2 Distinguished Conduct Medals and 12 Military Medals.
The Sappers had been charged with the usual Engineer tasks of clearing enemy mines and booby traps from roads and dugouts following the attacking Infantry, clearing and maintaining the tactical roads, clearing wells and setting up water points. When the attack stalled and became disorganized, the Sappers continued with their assigned tasks, assisted to re-organise the line, captured prisoners, carried messages for their own and other units, organized a party of American Infantry, helped feed a battery with ammunition, assisted and carried wounded, all being achieved under heavy shell and machine gun fire and while their own sections suffered 50 and 75% casualties
2/Lt Burns was one of those awarded the Military Cross. The recommendation for his award reads:
Appendix 10 of the 2ATC War Diary for October 1918:
The report was signed by Major E. N. Mulligan, O.C., 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company.
In the same action, 1ATC lost two Sappers died of wounds. Two Sappers of the 5th Pioneer Battalion and one from the 3rd Pioneer Battalion who had originally come to the Western Front with the Tunnellers were also killed in action or died of wounds.
Phil enjoyed some leave in Paris from 13 to 21 October, his promotion to Lieutenant coming through on 15 October while he was on leave.
He returned to England on 22 January 1919 to undertake non-military employment at DG Swansea Vale Spell & Co, Llamsamlet, Glamorgan c/o 46 Brunswick Street, Swansea, from 22 January to 23 April to gain experience in zinc smelting.
Having sailed from England 12 May 1919 on board Zealandia, Lt Felix Gregory Burns MC disembarked in Melbourne on 26 June, where he awaited transport to Tasmania. His Appointment as an Officer in the AIF was terminated on 11 September 1919. He was entitled to wear the Military Cross, British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
On 27 September 1919, Base Records forward to Phil by registered post one “Congratulatory Card issued by the General Officer Commanding 4th Army, British Expeditionary Force, referring in laudatory terms to the conspicuous manner in which you conducted yourself on the battlefield in the face of the enemy.”
After his discharge, Phil returned to Tasmania where he became the mine manager at the Rosebury EZ Co. mine.
In 1921 he married Iris Mary Conley.
In 1938 he married Margaret McKenzie Barker
Phil served with 5 Battalion, Volunteer Defence Corps during the Second World War. T553 Captain Felix Gregory Burns enlisted at Rosebery, Tasmania. He was discharged on 9 January 1946. He named Margaret Burns as his Next-of-Kin.
In 1968 Phil Burns was living in East Brighton, Victoria.
Felix Gregory Burns died in 1976 at Heidelberg, Victoria. He was 81 years of age.
© Donna Baldey
Constructed from public records and information provided by John Burns.