Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The 1914-15 Star awarded to Gunner T. Burke, Royal Marine Artillery, a veteran of the Battle of Dogger Bank, who was killed in action whilst serving with H.M.S. Lion at the Battle of Jutland, 31 May 1916

1914-15 Star (R.M.A. 8487 Gr. T. Burke.) extremely fine £60-£80

Thomas Burke was born in Oxford in May 1880. He enlisted in the Royal Marine Artillery at Hull in October 1899. Burke advanced to Gunner in October 1900, and served with H.M.S. Lion, from 13 December 1913. He was present at the Battle of Dogger Bank, 24 January 1915; and the Battle of Jutland, 31 May 1916, where the Lion served as the flagship of Admiral Beatty’s Battlecruiser Fleet - she was hit a total of 14 times during the battle, including sustaining near-catastrophic damage to Q-turret, and suffered 99 dead and 51 wounded. Although mortally wounded, Major Francis Harvey, Royal Marines, the Q-turret gun commander, ordered the magazine and turret to be flooded, which although costing him his life saved the magazine from exploding, which would undoubtedly have sunk the ship; for his bravery and self sacrifice he was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross. Gunner Burke was killed in action at Jutland, and is commemorated on the Porstmouth Naval Memorial.

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