Roland Richard Louis Bourke
Lieutenant, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
- Register No.
- 111 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Lieutenant all Lieutenants →
- Unit
- Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve all Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve VCs →
- Date of action
- 9–10 May 1918 on this day → all of 1918 →
- Conflict / campaign
- First World War
- London Gazette
- 28th August 1918 on this day → all of 1918 →
- Born
- 28th November 1885 in London
- Died
- 29th August 1958 at Esquimalt, British Columbia, Canada
- Memorial / grave
- at Royal Oak Burial Park, Victoria, British Columbia
- Medal held by
- the Canada's National Archives in Ottawa,
Digest of citation
On 9th and 10th May, 1918 at Ostend, Belgium, after HMS Vindictive's crew had been taken off, Lieutenant 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 upturned boat, and rescued them. During this time the motor launch was under very heavy fire and was hit 55 times, once by a six-inch shell which killed two of her crew and did considerable damage. Lieutenant Bourke, however, managed to take her into the open sea, and was taken in tow
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
BOURKE, Roland Richard Louis. (Reg. No. 111).
Lieutenant Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.
London Gazetted on 28th August 1918.
VC Medal's Custodian is the Canada's National Archives in Ottawa, Canada.
Born on 28th November 1885 in London.
Died on 29th August 1958 at Esquimalt, British Columbia, Canada.
Memorial on grave at Royal Oak Burial Park, Victoria, British Columbia.
Digest of Citation reads: On 9th and 10th May, 1918 at Ostend, Belgium, after HMS Vindictive's crew had been taken off, Lieutenant 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 upturned boat, and rescued them. During this time the motor launch was under very heavy fire and was hit 55 times, once by a six-inch shell which killed two of her crew and did considerable damage. Lieutenant Bourke, however, managed to take her into the open sea, and was taken in tow.
Additional information:. He had also been awarded the Distinguished Service Order. (D S O) He served with the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve during the Second World War.
Additional information
He had also been awarded the Distinguished Service Order. (D S O) He served with the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve during the Second World War.
Canada.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: at Royal Oak Burial Park, Victoria, British Columbia
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
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