14373877 Private James Burke
14373877 Pte James Burke was born on 24th June 1915. James was the ninth of ten children born to Rose (née
Dabbs) and
Thomas Burke of 82 Whinney Hill, Thrybergh.
Originally from County Mayo, Ireland, James's father Thomas was a coal miner at Dalton Main Colliery, Silverwood.
James was educated at St Gerard’s School, Thrybergh.
In 1937 he married Ada Bennett in Rotherham. Ada was born on 23rd September 1917. After marrying the
couple lived
at 45 Norfolk Street, Rotherham and
three children. As well as being employed full-time as a bricklayer, he also had a civilian role of Air Raid
Precautions, Rescue Service.
After successfully gaining his parachute wings on Parachute Course No. 73 at Ramat David in Palestine
James was assigned to A Company, 11th Parachute Battalion.
After flying into Arnhem with the other members of the other members of the 11th Parachute Battalion, James was
involved in the heavy fighting at
Arnhem and Oosterbeek. At Oosterbeek he was wounded, resulting in him being brought into the Regimental Air Post of
the Ter Horst
family for treatment. It was here that he was killed on 23rd September 1944 at the age of 29 by a grenade
impact on the Ter Horst
family's house near the Old Church in Oosterbeek.
James was initially buried in the garden as an unknown person and re buried at Arnhem Oosterbeek War
Cemetery grave 2. B. 19. as an unknown soldier. In the 1980s James's gave was given a new stone, which states:
James is also remembered in the
Rotherham
War Memorial South Yorkshire, Rotherham, Clifton Park S65 2BH with his own name here.
Not only that, but his wife's family
have remembered him alongside themselves in Psalters Lane Municipal Cemetery, Masbrough, Yorkshire, engraved:
(R/H kerb) In Loving Memory of our dear father JOSEPH BENNETT/ died Aug 24th 1916 aged 54 years. (L/H kerb) Also our dear mother MARIA BENNETT/ died Nov 24th 1944 aged 82 years. (Head kerb) Also our brother WESLEY BENNETT/ died Jan 31st 1942 aged 42 years. (Foot kerb) Also JAMES BURKE their son-in-law/ Killed in action at Arnhem Sept 23rd 1944/ aged 29 years.