Henry BURKE, b1895, British Army, later IRA

[corisande]

Maybe we had better leave it there - I asked a question which for some reason you do not want to answer.

I think it is perfectly reasonable for me to ask - that was your first post on Rootchat and you want me to spend some time digging out facts for a reply to you

[schneider]

apologies.My reply was meant to be humourous not insulting.Im actually very grateful to you for the doors you have already opened for me.Im a relative of henry burke he was my gran uncle.

[corisande]

My interest is in the Irish Brigade, rather than just Burke

You can start with looking at
http://www.irishbrigade.eu/recruits/burke.html

I have more to write up on his work around Munich in 1919

I would still like to know why he might have been rotting in an English Jail after Irish Independence, when all the political prisoners had been released. Do you know?

What happened to him after he returned from POW in Germany?

[schneider]

appreciate your coming back to me.
Emily Burke was my grandmother and harrys sister.My father was the only one to talk about harry and they kept in touch up to his dissapeareance in the 1939 / 1940.My father was born in 1921.My dad told me that harry was in the ira  and on the run up to his disappearance in england /scotland 1939 1940.Apparently he always carried two revolvers.He would post my dad a picture post card with a view of some part of england / scotland  they would simply read dear anthony at the top of the card and harry at the bottom nothing in between.It was also believed that harry tailored some of the irb / ira uniforms during the troubles.I will post anything i recall and any discoveries i make.Really grateful  to you.

[corisande]

So he just disappeared in 1939/1940. The implication being that he was involved with the IRA bombing campaign at that time. Wikipedia gives a list

1939

    * January 16: a bomb exploded outside the control room of a large power station, which supplied the whole of south-east England with electricity. It created a large crater in the forecourt of the building. There were no casualties and the control station was reportedly undamaged. A second explosion damaged an overhead cable running from Grand Union Canal to Willesden Power Station.
    * January 17: a bomb exploded at Williams Deacons Bank, damaging gas mains.
    * February 4: two bombs exploded in the London Underground – one at Tottenham Court Road station and one at Leicester Square station. They were timed suitcase bombs stored in the left-luggage rooms overnight. There were no deaths, although two people were wounded and severe damage was done to the stations.
    * February 9: two bombs exploded at King's Cross station.
    * March 2: a bomb exploded on an aqueduct for the Grand Union Canal near Stonebridge Park.
    * March 23: five bombs exploded at different times during the day. Targets included telephone and gas installations, and the offices of the News Chronicle in Fleet Street.
    * March 29: two bombs exploded on Hammersmith Bridge.
    * March 31: seven bombs exploded in different parts of the city.
    * May 5: two bombs exploded.
    * June 10: bombs exploded in thirty post offices and postboxes in London, Birmingham and Manchester.
    * June 24: several bombs exploded before or after a republican demonstration (under police protection) demanding the release of IRA volunteers.[4]
    * June 24: bombs exploded at the London branches of the Midland Bank, Westminster Bank and Lloyds Bank.
    * July 26: two bombs exploded in the London Underground – one in the left-luggage area of King's Cross Station and one in the left-luggage area of London Victoria station. In the King's Cross attack, one man was killed and two wounded. In the Victoria Station attack five were wounded.

1940

    * February 6: two bombs exploded in mailbags at Euston Station.
    * February 23: two bombs exploded in the West End. The devices had been placed in litter bins. Thirteen people were wounded.

I'll have a root round in the Times to see if I can track down a trial - or if anyone else finds it can they post it here

[schneider]

great stuff.Im going to dig out the post cards and check for any post office markings or dates.I also have a picture of him ill put it up as soon as i search and find.thanks again

[schneider]

corisande
iv requested a full copy of wo141/9 and am awaiting an estimate have you viewed same if not ill go ahead

[corisande]

I think you will find that they will not be able to give you an estimate for that, it comes from a volume that altogether has thousands of pages

I have a   photograph copy of the relevant pages of the tome, put I have included the synopsis of them in my overall write up of the Irish Brigade

I see from my notes that Keogh noted the Harry Burke was still alive in 1960 (when Keogh made the notes) - do you think that is true

[schneider]

im amazed by that. all i know is that the family believed harry to have disappeared / been killed in england 39/40.for some reason they thought he may have died as a result of a direcr hit in a bomb shelter but that dosent ring real.where does keogh believe he was in 1960.His sister emily died in circa 1955, jack & ellen cumiskey were still alive in early 50s.I find it hard to believe he would have made no contact but life is strange.