Also Served: John Burns - John BURNS
27 Mines Avenue, Prescot 2/Cpl 7174(t) (Later renumbered to 428361) John Burns was born on 27th January 1882.
He originally served with the Lancashire Hussars as Private 1455 from 17th October 1906 to 31st March 1908. On the outbreak of war, he attested to the West Lancs Division of the Royal Engineers in St Helens on 12th October 1914. He was 32 years and 10 months old. His wife, Margaret Ann Burns of the same address, was recorded as his next of kin.
Listed in the Prescot Reporter 'List of all local men who have enlisted' in 1915 as serving with Royal Engineers.
John's service records shows that he landed in France on 5th January 1916. He was promoted to Acting Second Corporal on 5th November 1916, and also that he had leave to the UK between 17th to 27th January 1917. He appears to have been gassed in July 1917, but details are not clear. More leave to the UK is recorded from 21st December 1917 to 4th January 1918.
London Gazette 7 October 1918.
'Awarded the Military Medal. 428361 2nd/Cpl J Burns (Prescot) Royal Engineers'. No details of the reason for the award have been found.
John Burns' Military Medal Card, courtesy of John Yates
He was transferred to Class 'Z' of the Army reserve on demobilisation on 5th February 1919.
John's Medal Index Card shows his entitlement to the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
The image below is of John Burns' Military Medal which was auctioned in November 2014.
In the 1939 National Register, shown below, John lived at 62 Columbia Road, Prescot
Additional research by John Yates
Ref. No.: A0238
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