Private Robert Burke
Robert Burke was born on 29 July 1893 at Ballintemple, Newtownhamilton, County Armagh, the second of eight children of farmer William Burke and his wife Eliza Jane (née Keown or Cowen). At the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Ballintemple with his parents, siblings and maternal grandmother, and working on the family farm.
Burke enlisted in the North Irish Horse between 23 February and 28 March 1912 (No.687 – later Corps of Hussars No.71072). He embarked for France with A Squadron on 17 August 1914, seeing action on the retreat from Mons and advance to the Aisne.
On 9 November he wrote to his brother James in Belfast, who conveyed the news to their mother as follows:
Dear Mother
It is near time I was thinking to drop you a few lines but as I have not got much news would interest you I could not think of writing much sooner. I had a letter from Robert this morning & he seems to be getting on all right. he said he was along with the boys that I saw in Belfast for a month but they were away from him again. he is along with Isaac Robb & Martin Andrew and Sandy Frazer & one of the Forsythes. he says the times are good but the weather is getting very cold & wet but he did not say where he was or what sort of duty he was at but I believe they are on the body Guard for Sir John French. ... I heard that Isaac Robb was wounded but it can't be true for the letter that Robert sent me was dated the 9th Nov & he said he was along with Isaac so if he is wounded it must be since the 9th.
A Squadron then served as escort and bodyguard to the BEF's commander-in-chief at St Omer from October 1914 until January 1916, when it was posted as divisional cavalry to the 55th Division. In May 1916 it was combined with D and E Squadrons of the North Irish Horse to form the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment, serving as corps cavalry to VII, XIX, then V Corps until February-March 1918, when the regiment was dismounted and converted to a cyclist unit, serving as corps cyclists to V Corps until the end of the war.
Burke remained with the regiment throughout the war, though how much time he spent in France and Belgium with A Squadron and how much at home at the Antrim reserve depot is not known at present. On 12 March 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.
Burke in North Irish Horse dress uniform, with (probably) his father, 1912-14.
Possibly at the Antrim reserve camp, 1915-19
After the war Burke worked as a harbour constable before joining the Royal Irish Constabulary on 13 January 1920 (No.70102). He served as a constable in Wicklow before being discharged on 31 March 1922 when the RIC was disbanded following the formation of the Irish Free State. He later emigrated to the United States.
Burke in the Royal Irish Constabulary
I am most grateful to Ann Burke-Molloy for providing these images of her Great Uncle and some of the information above, including the letter from James Burke.
This page last updated 10 October 2023.