Craftsman Thomas Burns Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers
1939-45 Star. Pacific Star. War Medal 1939-45.
The Man Thomas Burns was born on 12th November 1916 in County Durham, son of William an Agricultural Servant and Annie nee Brown. The 1911 census shows him as having at least three siblings, most likely more during the next five years, Jenny born in 1907, William H 1908, and Cecil 1911. He appears to have lived at 8 Bowes Ville, Burnopfield, Newcastle Upon Tyne.
No detail is known about his early life except that his occupation was a Driver. During the first quarter of 1940, Thomas married Evelyn Parkin in Co Durham. They lived at 16 William Street, Lintz Colliery, Burnopfield but sadly they did not have long to enjoy married life as Thomas was called up and served in the 18th Division Workshop Company, Royal Army Ordnance Corps. He was posted to the Far East to defend Singapore in 1941 and was taken Prisoner of War upon its fall on 15th February 1942 and transferred to the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers upon its formation in October 1942.
Thomas was sent to work on the northern stretch of the Burma Railway at Malai 1 Camp between Moulmein and Nieke and finally succumbed to the cruelty of the Japanese, passing away on 7th August 1943, of colitis, aged 25.
He was buried in Thanbyuzayat Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery in Burma, grave number B3.F.16.
Thomas was posthumously awarded the 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star and War Medal 1939-45.
No detail is known about his early life except that his occupation was a Driver. During the first quarter of 1940, Thomas married Evelyn Parkin in Co Durham. They lived at 16 William Street, Lintz Colliery, Burnopfield but sadly they did not have long to enjoy married life as Thomas was called up and served in the 18th Division Workshop Company, Royal Army Ordnance Corps. He was posted to the Far East to defend Singapore in 1941 and was taken Prisoner of War upon its fall on 15th February 1942 and transferred to the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers upon its formation in October 1942.
Thomas was sent to work on the northern stretch of the Burma Railway at Malai 1 Camp between Moulmein and Nieke and finally succumbed to the cruelty of the Japanese, passing away on 7th August 1943, of colitis, aged 25.
He was buried in Thanbyuzayat Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery in Burma, grave number B3.F.16.
Thomas was posthumously awarded the 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star and War Medal 1939-45.
The Story The medals awarded to Thomas Burns were acquired from e-Bay on 15th January 2024. They were of immediate interest as Thomas had been a casualty whilst working on the Burma Railway, a sub-theme of this collection.
Commonwealth War Graves, Ancestry.UK and Forces War Records enabled a brief biography to be pieced together, helped by the fact his box of award was still with medals.
Sadly however, it may be some time before his grave can be visited due to the current situation in Myanmar (2024).
Commonwealth War Graves, Ancestry.UK and Forces War Records enabled a brief biography to be pieced together, helped by the fact his box of award was still with medals.
Sadly however, it may be some time before his grave can be visited due to the current situation in Myanmar (2024).
Thomas Burn's Grave Thanbyuzayat Cemetery, Moulmein, Myanmar.
Medal award box addressed to Evelyn.
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Thomas Burns posthumous medal award certificate
Japanese PoW Record Card
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Thanbyuzayat Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery, Moulmein, Myanmar, 9th February 2015. (Percy Denis Cornwell collection).
Thomas BURNS is one of 26 soldiers in this collection who perished whilst working on the Burma Railaway and whose final resting place is Kanchanaburi or Chungkai Commonwealth War Cemeteries in Thailand or Thanbyuzayat in Myanmar. May their souls rest in eternal peace. Click on each name to read about:
- John AXON
- William James Johnstone BYERS
- Walter Richard COLBERT
- Percy Denis CORNWELL
- Joseph DUCKWORTH
- Harold Edward EKE
- Kenneth Robert EYLAND
- Charles Nevil Worton FOX
- Denys John HYDE
- George Sidney JOHNSON
- Charles Roger LLOYD
- Stanley Richard LOVEDAY
- Myles McMANUS
- Raymond Ernest MADGETT
- Alfred Arthur MANNING
- John MARKS
- Horace Edgar MAXWELL
- James Gordon MITCHELL
- Edward John PHILLIPS
- George Edward RUDDICK
- Kenneth William SHIPP
- Harold Norman SPALDING
- Alfred Henry STEVENS
- Walter Leonard TAYLOR
- Henry Garnsey VEITCH
Medal Details:
- 1939-45 Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- Pacific Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as awarded.
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This page last updated 23 Mar 24
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