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Lt Col Burge RMLI


angelab

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Not sure if this is the right part of the forum for this, but here goes...

I have just received a press release from the Royal Marines Museum, Portsmouth, about its recent purchase of the medals awarded to Lt Col Burge RMLI, together with a brief biography of Burge.

In case anyone is interested in him, here is a resume of what it says:

When the First World War broke out, Burge volunteered for active service. He was put in command of one of the Portsmouth Battalion Companies, RM Brigade between 19th September and 13th October 1914, in which time he landed at Dunkirk and was involved in the Defence at Antwerp. He went on to command the RM cyclist company, and landed at Gallipoli 3rd May 1915. In July 1915, he was appointed in command of Nelson Battalion. Burge was heavily involved with the evacuation of Gallipoli, and was one of the last to leave the peninsula. He received a Mention in Despatches for distinguished and gallant service in the Royal Naval Division in January 1916.

Burge landed in France 22nd May 1916, and was killed in action in November that year leading his battalion in the latter stages of the Battle of the Somme.

The Museum is to re-unite the medal collection with one of Burge’s diaries and a flag belonging to a battalion he commanded.

Angela

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ANGELA, find here two awards to Lt. Col. BURGE ;

BURGE Norman O N/E Major RMLI 86W028 R.N.D. N/E

01.11.16 G(M) Officers Royal Naval Division Gallipoli September - November 1915 M in D

Mentioned in Despatches by General Hamilton, for distinguished and gallant services in Gallipoli - 1915.

Military Gazette 01.11.16.

BURGE Norman O N/E Major RMLI 86W026 R.N.D. N/E

06.09.16 Gazetted

Officers Royal Naval Division Gallipoli 1915 - 1916

Promoted Brevet Lt.Col.

In recognition of his services with the Royal Naval Division in the Gallipoli Penninsula.

May be of interest & to RM Museum ??

Sadsac

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Thanks Angela,

Burge was my grandfather's CO, so very pleased to hear that his medals will be safe and well

from Gen Blumberg's 'Britain's Sea Soldiers'

"The Hawke, ... were not so fortunate; both they and the Howe on their left came up against a strong point, a redoubt between the 1st and 2nd line of the enemy, that had been missed by the artillery; a few of the Hawkes reached the Dotted Green Line, but the commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel L Wilson, RMLI was seriously wounded. The Nelson pushing on to pass through the Hawke came against the same redoubt; the majority of the battalion including their commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel N. O. Burge, RMLI fell around the redoubt, and only isolated parties struggled through to the Green Line."

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Extracts from his Diary came be found in From Trench to Turret.

Excellent news that the medal group is now owned by the RMM.

Regards,

Jonathan S

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This is excellent news indeed. Norman Ormsby Burge (known to friends and family alike as 'Nob') was a most popular CO of Nelson Battalion and that battalion's longest-serving CO.

He sent a most detailed account of the evacuation from Gallipoli to his family. He was O-i-C of the final checkpoint rendezvous above 'V' Beach. He was especially proud that he and the 'V' Beach guard of 400 men of 2nd RM Battalion were last away from the peninsula (although this claim may be disputed). After the last troops had passed through he recorded:

"I had been too busy to notice that the wind was rising rapidly and it was beginning to get nasty-ish by the time we got down [to 'V' Beach]. But the French pier, which we used, consisted largely of an out-of-date battleship, which they sank some time ago to form a breakwater, and so we were able to get from her straight into a destroyer. She was the GRASSHOPPER, one of the biggest and we pretty well filled her up. You see, we few and the 400 beach guard (put out as a last line of defence round the beach) and some others make a pretty good load for a destroyer in bad weather (it was bad by now and getting worse). I'm so glad the 2nd RM Battalion were left to the last party. They are formed by the amalgamated Portsmouth and Plymouth Marine Battalions and as the Plymouth people were the first in the Peninsula, it was their proud job to be the last too. Though there are practically none who have done both. We got away at 3.30 [a.m.] - I really didn't notice the time and started off for Lemnos."

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Great news that they have gone to the RMM.

The medal collection at Eastney is fantastic. When ever I'm in Portsmouth,

I always pop along for a look and a drool ! :P

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