Gunner Michael Burke, Royal Regiment of Artillery, was awarded the Military Medal. On the evening of August 21st, 1943, near Scaletta, the position on which Gunner Burke was manning a gun came under continuous heavy shellfire from the Italian mainland for three-quarters of an hour. Large-calibre shells landed among the guns and dispersed the vehicles and eventually set fire to a Matador loaded with 4.5-inch shells and charges which burnt furiously. Gunner Burke, with complete disregard of danger while shells still fell around, stood on the Matador and threw off the flaming boxes of charges, despite the added danger of the ammunition on the Matador exploding. By his efforts the fire was put under control and extinguished, despite severe burn to his hands and arms. If this had developed, the smoke from the fire would have drawn further heavy fire from the mainland, which must have resulted in damage to guns and vehicles and caused casualties among the gun detachments. Gunner Burke was born in Tipperary. The National Archives | DocumentsOnline | Image Details Name Burke, Michael Rank: Gunner Service No: 948374 Regiment: 7 Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery Theatre of Combat or Operation: Sicily Award: Military Medal Date of Announcement in London Gazette: 18 November 1943 Date 1943-1944 Catalogue reference WO 373/3 See this thread for ref: http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/research-material/19413-volunteers-eire-who-have-won-distinctions.html#post195852 :irishflag[1]:
