The son of Richard George Burn and Eliza Jane Atkins, Cecil Burns was a 21 year old mechanic at the time he enlisted  on 21 January, 1916. Before he left for the war, he married his sweetheart, Isobelle Childe Myrtle Kilminster and ,after training at Broadmeadows, embarked with his unit, the 11 Reinforcments of the 22nd Battalion,  for the war on RMS Orontes on 29 March, 1916. 

The new recruite disembarked at Suez on 10 April, 1916, for further training before they went on to France. That month, the 22nd Battalion had been fighting at Fleurbaix/Fromelles, then Pozieres, with the loss of many men. New recruits were desperately needed. However, Cecil Burn fell ill once 11th Reinforcements were in England and was admitted to Fargo Hospital on 8 October, suffering from pleurisy. He remained in hospital for five weeks, befor being sent to France on 19 November. By then, the 22nd Battalion was in the Ypres salient, where they  had been fighting since September and now faced the bitter European winter. Cecil Burn became ill again n 29 January and and was sent back to England on board HS St Patrick from Rouen. On 1/3/1917 was admitted to the 1st Souther General Hospital, Birmingham, in a severe condition, and later transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital. 

He was discharged on 20 April, 1917, and marched in to the No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth, then back to the front, rejoinging his battalion on 9 July. He was wounded in action on 4 October, with a gunshot wound to the axilla or underarm area. He was evacuated on the HS St Denis and on 22 October, was admitted again to the 1st Souther General Hospital. The wound was not the only problem he had. Fomr 4 January to 17 January, he was in the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital with trembling, headaches, vomiting and giddiness. it was suspected that he had a recurrence of hte malaria he ahd suffered fifteen years before in the Malatta Islands, but this was discounted. The cause was severe migraine, which he suffered every three to four days. He was assessed as being 25% incapacitated and was dishcrged as medically unfit to serve in the armed forces. ON 6 June, 1918, he was discharged form further duty and sent home to Australia on HS Osterley on 31 August, 1918.  

Cecil Burn was granted a pension of fifteen shillings a week on 6 January, 1919, backdated to 7 June, 1918. HIs wife, Isabelle, was awarded seven shillings and sixpence. They were also given a War Service Home Grant, with which they presumably bought their house at 256 Epsom Rd., Ascot Vale. He died in 1972, aged 77.