PTE JAMES BURNS M.T.A.S.C.
M/305242 Private James Burns
Mechanical Transport Reinforcements, Army Service Corps
died of dysentery 8th October 1917
aged 23
Dar Es Salaam War Cemetery
St Machar's Church Memorial, Bridge of Weir
Gryfe Castle Cottage, Bridge of Weir
Son of James Burns and Margaret Jaffray
died of dysentery 8th October 1917
aged 23
Dar Es Salaam War Cemetery
St Machar's Church Memorial, Bridge of Weir
Gryfe Castle Cottage, Bridge of Weir
Son of James Burns and Margaret Jaffray
His Life
Brothers James and Robert Burns were both killed in the First World War. James was born on 18th October 1893 in Barskimming Offices, Mauchline, Ayrshire, the son of James Burns, a coachman from Fenwick, Ayrshire and Margaret Jaffray from Mid Mar, Aberdeenshire who had married in Kinning Park, Glasgow on 15th January 1892.
In 1901 the Burns family of four was living in 48 Woodside Terrace Lane, Glasgow. James senior was a domestic coachman. James junior (7) was at school.
By 1911, the family were in 43 Claremont Terrace Lane, Glasgow but James (18) had left home and was working as a domestic groom for the Ogilvie family at Corsliehill House, Houston, Renfrewshire. James was a boarder in Corsliehill, the home of the head coachman Charles Kirkpatrick and his family.
James enlisted at Perth, residence stated as Bridge of Weir. His Medal Roll Index Card does not state when he first entered the theatre of war but confirms that he was enlisted into the Army Service Corps. The ASC, or Royal Army Service Corps, was responsible for servicing all British army theatres of war. The food for men and horses, ammunition and everything else that was needed to service an army of three million men was transported by the ASC, which had more than 300,000 soldiers at its peak.
James was posted to Tanganyika, a name given by the British to the former German East Africa. The campaign lasted virtually the entire duration of the war and there were about 10,000 British Commonwealth casualties, two-thirds due to disease.
James died of dysentery in Dar Es Salaam, the capital of Tanganyika, on 8th October 1917, the second of the two Burns brothers to fall within five months, and is buried in Dar Es Salaam War Cemetery.
Siblings
| 1901 Census | 1911 Census | Birthplace | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Age | Name | Age | |
| James | 7 | James* | 18 | Mauchline, Ayrshire |
| Robert | 4 | Robert | 14 | Glasgow, Lanark |
* = not in James and Margaret Burns family home - see text for details
Sources
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- Scottish National War Memorial
- UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-19
- James Burns and Margaret Jaffray marriage certificate 15th January 1892. Regd. Glasgow 16th January 1892
- James Burns birth certificate, 18th Oct 1893. Regd Mauchline, Ayrshire 31st Oct 1893
- 1901 UK Census: Parish: Glasgow Park; ED:43; Page:15; Line:6; Roll: CSSCT1901_299
- 1911 UK Census
- Parish: Glasgow; Page 5, 644/12 005/00 005.
- Parish: Houston & KIllellan West; page 3, Line 22: 565/004/00 003.
- St Machar's Church of Scotland Death and Interment Register:
o Burns, James; Pte. Motor Transport; Gryfe Castle Cottage; Died in service in East Africa; Jany 1918; aged 24. - Medals: Victory, British War.
TO CITE THIS PAGE: MLA style: "Bridge of Weir Memorial". Date of viewing. http://www.bridgeofweirmemorial.co.uk/profile-burnsjames.html