.JPG)
W R Burrows (GC War Service)
Born on 8 January 1897, Walter Reginald Burrows was the son of Arthur Burrows and Myra Evelyn nee Fowler, of St Kilda.
He entered Geelong College with a scholarship, age 14 years 2 months, on 11 February 1911, and stayed until December 1913. He had previously been a pupil at Flinders State School. Walter was enrolled by A Burrows of the West Melbourne Rd, Geelong. He showed potential in junior cricket matches, and won his way into the First Cricket XI of 1912 and 1913, and in the latter year also played in the First Football XVIII. He passed the Junior Examination, worked for a short period at the London Bank, and then took up surveying with Mr J W Urbahns, the district surveyor, working throughout the Wimmera and Western District.
During World War I, he enlisted (No 2118) at Stawell, as soon as he was old enough, on 10 April 1915, and embarked for Egypt on
HMAT A3 Orvieto on 21 October 1914, and Gallipoli with 5 Battalion. He was wounded at the Battle of Lone Pine, sometimes referred to as Lonesome Pine, when the Turks counter-attacked.
The Australian War Memorial (AWM) website describes the events of that day:
'One of the most famous assaults of the Gallipoli campaign, the Battle of Lone Pine was originally intended as a diversion from attempts by New Zealand and Australian units to force a breakout from the Anzac perimeter on the heights of Chunuk Bair and Hill 971. The Lone Pine attack, launched by the 1st Brigade AIF in the late afternoon of 6 August 1915 pitched Australian forces against formidable entrenched Turkish positions, sections of which were securely roofed over with pine logs. In some instances the attackers had to break in through the roof of the trench systems in order to engage the defenders. The main Turkish trench was taken within twenty minutes of the initial charge but this was the prelude to four days of intense hand-to-hand fighting, resulting in over 2,000 Australian casualties.' Seven Victoria Crosses were awarded to Australians at Lone Pine.
The AWM Collection holds a portrait of private W R Burrows, who was aged 18 years and seven months when he died on 15 August 1915.
Sources: Geelong Collegians at the Great War compiled by James Affleck. pp14-15 (citing Commonwealth War Graves Commission; Australian War Memorial; Photo The Pegasus December 1915; AWM H05759.)