Charles Burke (British Army officer)

Charles James Burke
Burke in the uniform of the Royal Flying Corps
Nickname(s)	Pregnant Percy
Born	9 March 1882 Armagh
Died	9 April 1917 Near Arras, France
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	Lieutenant-Colonel
Unit	Royal Irish Regiment Royal Flying Corps
Battles/wars	Boer War World War I
Awards	Distinguished Service Order

Lieutenant-Colonel Charles James BurkeDSO (1881 or 82 – 9 April 1917) was an officer in the Royal Irish Regiment and the Royal Flying Corps and a military aviation pioneer. He was both the first commander of No. 2 Squadron and later the Second Wing.

Charles Burke was born in 1881 or 1882 and he was the youngest son of the Mr M C C Burke of Ballinhone House, Armagh, Ireland.

Burke's military service began as a soldier in the British Army and he served in the Boer War during which time he received the Queen's medal with two clasps. In 1902, at the end of the War, he was commissioned into the Royal Irish Regiment and after several years of regimental service, including three years with the West African Frontier Force, he was promoted to captain in September 1909. The following year Burke travelled to France where he learned to fly in a Farman biplane, gaining his Aéro-Club de France certificate in the process.

After his return to England, Burke was employed at the Army's Balloon School. In early 1911, Burke was involved in conducting heavier-than-air aircraft tests at the Balloon Factory. On 7 January 1911 Burke flew a Farman aircraft for two miles over Laffan's Plain at 50 to 80 feet and landed near the Balloon Factory. A few minutes later, Burke attempted a second flight. However, after only 50 yards he stalled and the aircraft came to earth on its right wing, cart-wheeled and disintegrated. Burke received injuries in the crash. Despite this experience, Burke was not deterred from flying. In July of the same year, he flew from Salisbury Plain to Aldershot and back and later on he made a return flight to Oxford.