Austral was born in Manly, Sydney on the 30th of May 1893 to Charles and Beatrice (nee Moore) Burns. He attended the Fort Street School.
Enlisting on the 31st of August 1914 in Sydney at age 21 years 4 months, Selector and Jackaroo Austral joined the 1st Battalion 1st Brigade. The battalion was the first infantry unit recruited in NSW during the First World War being raised within a fortnight of the war’s declaration in August 1914.
After a brief period of basic training the 1st Battalion embarked on the ‘HMAT A19 Afric’ in Sydney on the 18th of October 1914. They arrived at Alexandria on the 2nd of December 1914, where they undertook further training and served in a static defence role around the Suez Canal.
Embarking at Alexandria on the ‘HMT Minnewaska’ on the 5th of April 1915, the 1st Battalion took part on the ANZAC landing on the 25th of April as part of the 2nd and 3rd waves. Taking part in the attack on hill ‘Baby 700’ they were forced to withdraw to Russel Top and then to Gaba Tebe. On the 27th of April the Battalion carried out a bayonet charge against the Ottomans.
In August the Allies were again on the offensive. Between the 6th and 10th, a diversionary attack drawing attention away from the main assaults by Commonwealth troops around Sari Bair, Chunuk Bair and Hill 971 was made by the 1st Battalion. The diversionary attack became known as the Battle of Lone Pine. While on the 10th of August the battle ceased with the Australians maintaining control of captured ground, Austral was wounded on the 9th with a gunshot wound to the head and severe gunshot wound to the right thigh. He was taken aboard the ‘HS Devanha’ and admitted to No 17 General Hospital, Alexandria on the 13th of August. He was later transferred to Convalescent Depot, Mustapha.
On the 12th of September Austral was moved to the Convalescent Camp, Glymanopoulo before being discharged to Base on the 22nd of September. He embarked from Alexandria on the 2nd of October aboard ‘HMT Manitou’ bound again for Gallipoli and on the 10th of October Austal rejoined his Battalion. On the 7th of November Austal was promoted to Lance Corporal.
Over 5 nights starting from the 15th of December 1915, 36,000 troops were withdrawn from North Beach Gallipoli to the waiting transport ships. Austral disembarked at Alexandria on the 28th of December.
Spending new year at Tel El Kebir on the 13th of February 1916 Austral was transferred from 1st Battalion and was taken on strength with the 53rd Battalion 38th Brigade the next day. On the 16th of March 1916 Austral was promoted to temp Corporal and on the 8th of May in Ismailia he progressed to the rank of Sergeant.
The 53rd Battalion embarked Alexandria aboard ‘HMT Royal George’ for BEF on the 19th of June 1916, disembarking at Marseilles the next day. They entered the front line of the Western Front for the first time on the 10th of July at Pozieres.
Between the 11th and the 19th of July Austral was recorded at the Paris Exhibition, and he returned to his Battalion from the Exhibition on the 19th, when the Battalion became embroiled in their first major battle on the Western Front at the Battle of Fromelles. The battle of Fromelles on 19 July 1916 was a bloody initiation for Australian soldiers to warfare on the Western Front. Soldiers of the newly arrived 5th Australian Division, together with the British 61st Division, were ordered to attack strongly fortified German front line positions near the Aubers Ridge in French Flanders. The attack was intended as a feint to hold German reserves from moving south to the Somme where a large Allied offensive had begun on 1 July. The feint was a disastrous failure. Australian and British soldiers assaulted over open ground in broad daylight and under direct observation and heavy fire from the German lines. Over 5,500 Australians became casualties. Almost 2,000 of them were killed in action or died of wounds and some 400 were captured. Believed to be the greatest loss by a single division in 24 hours during the entire First World War, it is considered the most tragic event in Australia’s history. Austral was one of those ‘Killed In Action’ on the 19th of July.
Austral left behind a wife, Alice Josephine Burns (nee Laurie) and a daughter Iris. To add further grief to the family, Alice’s brother Lance Corporal Albert Laurie (M.M.) was killed in action in 1918.
There was some confusion with the War Office paperwork. On his enlistment papers his NOK was initially marked Married- no, listing A.R. Laurie JP of Rawden Vale as the next of kin. At some point it was changed to Yes, with Mrs. AH Burns Ryan of ‘Stoho’, Rawden Vale as next of kin.
Austral’s documents show a War Pension Claim for Burns Iris (daughter) with trustee as Burns Alice Josephine (widow). NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages list Austral and Alice marrying in Stroud in 1914. Iris was born in 1914 listing Alice as her mother and the place where her father should be listed is blank.
His records also show a 1930 address for Iris Burns at King Street, Gloucester.
