Donald Burnie

Second Lieutenant Donald Burnie – Welsh Regiment, 6^th Battalion

Early Life

Donald Burnie

Donald Burnie was born in Swansea in 1882, the son of Robert Burnie and Georgianna Elliot. His father, Robert Burnie, was a prominent businessman and Liberal politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Swansea from 1892 to 1895 and long held the position of Managing Director of Swansea Wagon Limited. His mother, Georgianna, was originally from Devon.

1891 Census

1901 Census

Donald grew up in a respected and well-connected family. By the 1901 Census, aged 17, he was already employed as a clerk in a shipping office, while living with his parents at Bryn-coed, Sketty Road.

1911 Census

In 1910, Donald married Alice Mabel Harvey, and by the 1911 Census, they were living at 2 Glenview, Sketty Road, Swansea. Donald, then 28, was working as an iron and steel merchant, while Alice, 27, was described as a representative.

Military Service

When the First World War broke out, Donald followed a tradition of public duty that reflected his family’s civic background. In April 1915, he was commissioned into the Welsh Regiment, 6^th (Glamorgan) Battalion, with the rank of Second Lieutenant.

The 6^th Battalion was one of the first Territorial Force units from Wales to see overseas service. In September 1915, it was attached to the 28th Division during the Battle of Loos, the largest British offensive of the war up to that point. The battalion was thrown into the fighting around the Hohenzollern Redoubt, a strongly fortified German position. Between 1^st and 2^nd October, they endured fierce artillery bombardments, machine-gun fire, and counterattacks. Casualties were heavy, and many men were reported missing, their names now remembered on the Loos Memorial.

Death

On 2^nd October 1915, during this desperate fighting around the Hohenzollern Redoubt, the British Army was holding and consolidating positions gained in the opening days of the battle, while under fierce German counterattacks and heavy shellfire. It was amid this struggle that Second Lieutenant Donald Burnie was killed in action. He was 33 years old, having been at the front for only a few months.

South Wales Daily Post

News of his death was carried in the South Wales Daily Post, which published the official notification from the War Office, confirming his loss to the Swansea community.

Burial

Donald Burnie
Loos Memorial
credit - findagrave

As his body was never recovered, Donald has no known grave. His name is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, which records the names of over 20,000 officers and men who fell during the battle and have no known resting place.

Legacy

The death of Second Lieutenant Donald Burnie was deeply felt in Swansea, not only because of his youth and promise but also because he was the son of Robert Burnie, former Swansea MP. His sacrifice reflected the way the Great War reached into even the most established local families, cutting across politics, business, and community life.

Donald’s name is inscribed on the St. Paul’s Church war memorial, Sketty, ensuring his memory lives on both locally and internationally, alongside his comrades on the Loos Memorial in France.