Enlisted on 04 1915 with the 96th Battalion and 1 August transferred on 10 Nov 1916 to 92nd Battalion (48th Highlanders). Then transferred to 5th Reserve Battalion on 5 Jan 1917. Burnett joined the 15th Battalion (48th Highlanders) in Europe on 26 Mar 1918. At that time the battalion, with the rest of the Canadian army, was Standing To (ie out of battle) following their battle at Passchendaele in Oct/Nov 1917, the subsequent actions at Bruay Rest and the Loos Raid and holding the line successfully at Vimy when the German spring offensive broke the British lines everywhere except the Canadians at Vimy. The Standing To period was from 21 March to 1 August 1918. The decision at command level was to hold back the Canadians as shock troops to spearhead the attack after the Germans had been stopped. The Canadians at the time were deemed the best troops the Allies had.

Burnett was with the 15th Bn but a week and was then transferred to the 1st CMG Bn. Burnett was at the battle of Amiens – 8/9 August. On 19 June he was disabled with psoriasis and on 21 Sept transferred to Shorncliffe, a hospital. He returned to Canada and was discharged 17 Sept 1919.

NOK: Granddaughter Tannis Burnett

Not stated