14925 Cpl/Sgt Joseph Burns 7/8th and 1/5th King's Own Scottish Borderers

1914-15 Star, Victory Medal and Wound Stripe to 14925 Cpl/Sgt Joseph Burns 7/8th and 1/5th King's Own Scottish Borderers

Joseph was born in St Mary's, Blackburn, Lancashire and married to Ellen Burns (née Dickinson). The couple lived in Mill Hill and had four children, Harold, Joseph, Robert and Ellen, born between 1903 and 1916. He was aged 32 1/2 and employed as a weaver when he enlisted at Blackburn on 7 September 1914. He had previous service with the 3rd East Lancashire but was time-expired; he was a Class I National Reservist. Joining the KOSB Depot at Berwick-on-Tweed on 8 September, he woild have proceeded down to Bordon by train to join the 8th battalion, then forming, and was rapidly promoted (presumably in consideration of his previous service), being appointed Acting Corporal and Acting [Lance?] Sergeant on 12 September, and then Acting Sergeant two months later on 11 November. He entered the France and Flanders theatre of war with the 8th KOSB via Boulogne on 10 July 1915, the same day he was confirmed Sergeant - interestingly, reverting to Corporal at his own request only seven days later. He would have been with the battalion on its first visit to the front line at Mazingarbe on and then at Maroc on 10 August where the 46th Brigade (of which the battalion was a part) took over a section of the line for the first time; he suffered a Gun Shot Wound and sprained left leg on 26 September 1915; this was during the battalion's engagement in the Battle of Loos. In this engagement the battalion, after digging communications trenches under sniper fire, had advanced, partly mixed up with the first wave and partly as part of the second wave of 46th Brigade, on Loos on 25 September. It then spent the following day occupying the captured German front line, the British lines being full of Gas, and put it in a state of defence. The battalion suffered in total 387 casualties during the battle; 374 NCOs and other ranks and 13 officers. Sgt Burns was listed as "Suffering from gas poisoning" on the Casualty List issued by the War Office from the 22nd October 1915.

After a convalescence seemingly in France, he appears to have to returned to his battalion in order to be posted to the merged 7/8th KOSB on 30 May 1916, in his substantive rank of Corporal. After a period in the line at Bethune and Hulluch, the 7/8th KOSB proceeded to the Somme sector in early August 1916, taking over the line opposite Martinpuich on 8 August, after which a steady trickle of casualties resulted due to shelling on the line and its saps, and on one occasion a bombing fight affecting a wiring party. Casualties were also incurred even whilst the battalion was formally on rest. On 15 August the battalion took over the line again and further casualties ensued, in particular due to shelling on the 17th, which severely depleted the right company. The morning of the 18th was marked by an attempted raid on the left company, which was repulsed by Lewis gun and rapid rifle fire; further shelling also took place, the battalion history commenting "in some places the trenches were pounded into mere shell-holes, and were unrecognisable". Battalion casualties for the two days 17 and 18 August were 1 officer and 31 other ranks killed, and 4 officers and 163 other ranks wounded, four of whom later died; together with 27 other ranks unaccounted for. Cpl Burns, meanwhile, was subsequently admitted to No. 3 Casualty Clearing Station with a gunshot wound (any penetrating wound, so possibly shrapnel) to the chest on 18 August 1916 and transferred to No. 6 Ambulance Train. He returned to the UK, being posted to the KOSB Depot for records purposes, on 9 September and then went on the strength of the 3rd Battalion on or around 27 October. He was accordingly reported wounded on the casualty list issued by the War Office for 18/09/1916.

Upon his return to active service he  appeared to have passed briefly through the 1/4th (Border) battalion in the Egyptian Expeditionary Force before joining the 1/5th (Dumfries & Galloway) Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers in around April 1917, first as supernumary to the establishment and then absorbed into the establishment, vice Corporal Wood, in May. After several stints as Acting Sergeant and Acting Paid Lance Sergeant between November 1917 and June 1918, he was finally promoted again to Sergeant on 5 June 1918. By this time both KOSB Territorial Battalions, as part of the 52nd (Lowland) Division, had returned from Egypt to France (the 1/5th having disembarked on 17 April) for service on the Western Front. He later served as a Sergeant with the 18th Scottish Rifles (Cameronians), under the regimental number 43844, being transferred on 24 November 1918. He was discharged to the Army Class 'Z' Reserve on 5 March 1919 and eas in receipt of a pension of 7/6 weekly for two years, as well as a Gratuity of £20. He would have received the British War and Victory Medals some time in the latter half of 1920.