Branch of Service

Army

Conflict

World War I (1914-1918)

Date of Enlistment

04/04/1916

Date of Discharge

13/10/1919

Place of Enlistment

Royal Military College, Duntroon ACT

Gender

Male

Date of Birth

26/06/1896

Place of Birth

Ashfield NSW

Address (at enlistment)

Royal Military College, Duntroon ACT

School(s) Attended

Homebush Public School (Sydney NSW)

Occupation

Soldier

Next of Kin

Beatrice Rourke (mother), Homebush NSW

Final Rank

Major

Final Unit

3 Division Artillery AIF

Military Cross (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No.173, 7 November 1918)

Rourke entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon in March 1914 and graduated in April 1916. He served with the 7th Field Artillery in France from the end of December 1916, initially with the 26th Battery and then with the 27th Battery which he commanded, with the rank of Captain, from October 1917 to March 1918. He was awarded the Military Cross for his work during the Passchendaele campaign in 1917 but then in July 1918 he was transferred to the Royal Horse Artillery in Egypt, Rourke was appointed to the rank of Major in October 1918 and became Camp Commandant Australian Headquarters in Cairo in early 1919. He also served in World War 2.

Description - height 6 feet ½ inches, weight 168 pounds, chest 36 inches, Church of England.

Colonel J.E. Lee, 'Duntroon: The Royal Military College of Australia 1911-1946', 1952
NAA RecordSearch - Series B2455 (First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920)
AWM Honours & Awards