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Rowland Bourke | |
|---|---|
 Lieutenant Rowland Bourke inc. 1917 | |
| Nickname(s) | Rowley[1] |
| Born | (1885-11-28)28 November 1885 London, England |
| Died | 29 August 1958(1958-08-29) (aged 72) British Columbia, Canada |
| Buried | Royal Oak Burial Park,Victoria, British Columbia (section O, plot 10, grave 16) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom Canada |
| Service | Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (1916–19) Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (1941–50) |
| Years of service | 1916–1919 1941–1950 |
| Rank | Commander |
| Commands | HMCS Givenchy HMCS Esquimalt HMCSBurrard ML276 |
| Battles / wars | First World WarSecond World War |
| Awards | Victoria Cross Distinguished Service Order Mentioned in Despatches Legion of Honour (France)[2] |
| Other work | Miner Fruit grower |
Rowland Richard Louis "Rowley" Bourke,VC, DSO (28 November 1885 – 29 August 1958) was a Canadian farmer, sailor, and a recipient of theVictoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British andCommonwealth forces.
Bourke was born inLondon, England, and emigrated toCanada in 1902. He returned to theUnited Kingdom on the outbreak of theFirst World War, and after initially being rejected due to poor eyesight, he enlisted in theRoyal Naval Volunteer Reserve in 1916.
Born on 28 November 1885 inLondon, England, Bourke moved to Canada in 1902. He became a miner in theKlondike and a fruit grower inBritish Columbia. In January 1916, he volunteered for the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.[3]
Following the outbreak of theFirst World War, Bourke volunteered to enlist in the Canadian military. He was rejected by all three arms of service due to poor eyesight. Undeterred, Bourke returned to England, at his own expense, where he successfully joined theRoyal Naval Volunteer Reserve, serving onmotor launches.
In April 1918, Bourke volunteered his motor launch to participate in the blockading of the Belgian harbour of Zeebrugge-Ostend, during theFirst Ostend Raid. The motor launches were detailed to rescue personnel from ships sunk in the blockade effort. Initially rejected from participating due to his eyesight, Bourke continued to volunteer his launch, despite knowing that volunteering put him and his crew in great peril. During action on the night of 23 April, Bourke's launch picked up 38 sailors from theblockshipHMS Brilliant and towed the crippled ML 532 out of the harbour.[4] For showing "the greatest coolness and skill in handling his motor-launch", Bourke was awarded theDistinguished Service Order (DSO).[5]
On 9 and 10 May 1918 atOstend, Belgium, after the crew ofHMS Vindictive had been taken off, Bourke, commanding Motor Launch 276, went into the harbour to check that everybody had got away. After searching and finding no one, he withdrew, but hearing cries from the water he turned back, found an officer and two seamen clinging to an up-turned boat, and rescued them. During this time the motor launch was under very heavy fire and was hit 55 times, once by a 6-inch shell, which killed two crew and did considerable damage. Lieutenant Bourke, however, managed to take the motor launch into the open sea, and was taken in tow. In recognition of his gallantry and devotion to duty, Bourke was gazetted theVictoria Cross on 27 August 1918.[6][7]
Prior to the outbreak of theSecond World War, Bourke was instrumental in organizing a Fishermen's Reserve, to patrol the west coast of Canada. He served as a recruiting officer for a period of time but in 1941 he returned to sea, with theRoyal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve. He served as commander ofHMCS Givenchy,HMCS Esquimalt, and HMCSBurrard, Vancouver.[4] He ended his naval career in 1950 with the rank of commander.
Bourke is buried in section O, plot 10, grave 16 in Royal Oak Burial Park, Falaise Drive,Victoria, British Columbia. His medals are held atLibrary and Archives Canada in Ottawa.
TheCanadian Hydrographic Service named Mount Bourke in 1945. It is located southwest of Megin Lake and northeast ofHot Springs Cove, north ofTofino, British Columbia. Mount Bourke is located at latitude 49°27′56 and longitude 126°11′02.
HMCS Malahat, Victoria's Naval Reserve Division, honours Bourke at his gravesite in Royal Oak Burial Park with a graveside ceremony each Remembrance Day.[8]