Robert Burne (British Army officer)

Lieutenant-General Robert Burne (c. 1753 – 16 June 1825) was a senior British Army officer who saw action in the Napoleonic Wars.

Robert Burne
Lieutenant-General Robert Burne
Born	c. 1753
Died	16 June 1825 Stanmore, Middlesex
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army
Years of service	1773-1814
Rank	Lieutenant-General
Unit	36th Regiment of Foot
Commands	6th Division
Battles / wars	Third Anglo-Mysore War Battle of Sittimungulum Siege of Bangalore Siege of Seringapatam French Revolutionary Wars Siege of Pondicherry Napoleonic Wars Hanover Expedition British invasions of the River Plate Peninsular War Battle of Rolica Battle of Vimeiro Battle of Corunna Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro Walcheren Campaign

Military career

Burne was commissioned as an ensign in the 36th Regiment of Foot in 1773.^[1] He was deployed to India in 1783 and saw action at the Battle of Sittimungulum in September 1790 during the Third Anglo-Mysore War and then at the Siege of Pondicherry in August 1793 during the French Revolutionary Wars.^[2] After being sent to Minorca in 1800, he was dispatched to Hanover under the command of General William Cathcart in 1805.^[1] He then saw action during the British invasion of the River Plate in 1806.^[1]

Deployed to Spain for service in the Peninsular War, he saw action at the Battle of Vimeiro in August 1808 and the retreat to Corunna in January 1809.^[1] After taking part in the Walcheren Campaign in autumn 1809, he returned to Spain where he served as temporary General Officer Commanding the 6th Division in its formative months from November 1810 to February 1811.^[3] He then commanded the 2nd Brigade in the 6th Division from March to November 1811 and from February to April 1812.^[1] In that role he saw action at the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro in May 1811.^[4] He was promoted to lieutenant-general on 19 July 1821.^[4]

References

1. "Burne, Robert". Napoleon Series. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
2. "Lieutenant-General Robert Burne". Worcestershire Regiment. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
3. Reid, Stuart (2004). Wellington's Army in the Peninsula 1809–14. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-84176-517-4.
4. Stephens, Henry Morse (1886). "Burne, Robert" . In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 7. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 383-384.