Draft:Michael de Burgh

Michael Graham de Burgh (11th June 1923 - 21st July 2023), was believed to be the last British soldier of the Royal Lancers who saw active service in the Second World War.

Early life
de Burgh was the eldest son of five children born on June 11 1923 in Norwich to Lt.-Col. Hugo Graham de Burgh MC OBE of Naas County Kildare and Mary Eleanor Ormiston Lamb. He has a paternal half brother Hugo de Burgh born 10 June 1949 who is the founder of the China Media Centre at the University of Westminster.

The family were direct descendants of William de Burgh (c.1160–1206), founder of the Hiberno-Norman House of Burgh, who first settled in the province of Connacht, Ireland in 1185.

He was educated at Beaumont College, Old Windsor, before being commissioned in the 9th Queen’s Royal Lancers in July 1943.

Military service
He was wounded on April 24 1945 when an Anti Tank Artillery Weapon made a direct hit on his tank becoming the last in the Regiment to suffer wounds in the war he was pulled to safety by Sgt Reg Hunt whom he remained lifelong friends with until Hunt's death in 2020 at the age of 104.

Family life
He married Penelope Ann Fairlie, daughter of Army officer, Author and 1924 Winter Olympics Bobsleigh champion Francis Gerard Luis Fairlie, on 17 May 1950, she died in 1997.

Together they had four children, Melony Ann de Burgh (born 1951), Guy Vernon Ronald de Burgh (1955-2014), Shaun Hugo Gerard de Burgh (born 1956) and Luan Michael Francis de Burgh (born 1966).

Later life
After the war de Burgh moved to Tanzania before returning to London to work for Guinness retiring in 1985 after 20 years.

In May 2020, on the 75th Anniversary of VE day, de Burgh's home in West Sussex was selected as one of 11 locations including the homes of Captain Tom Moore and Vera Lynn to receive a Spitfire flyover tribute in recognition of his heroic war record.

In June 2023, a month prior to his death, de Burgh was invited to receive a medal from Queen Camilla whose father he had served with in the Second World War.

He remained in the family home in East Lavington, West Sussex with his son Shaun and his family until he died on July 21 2023 and was buried with military honours by current serving soldiers of the Royal Lancers Regiment. By the time of his death, de Burgh had 9 Grandchildren and 6 Great Grandchildren.