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Eldest son of Walter Murray and Bertha Florence (nee Gibbs) Buntine. He died as a result of a flying accident at Turnberry, Scotland when his FE2b A817 aeroplane stalled on a turn after take off at Dalquhat Farm and burnt after crashing.

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”

Died on this date – 19th June…… Walter Horace Carlyle Buntine was born on 10th August, 1895 in Victoria to parents Walter Murray Buntine & Bertha Florence Buntine (nee Gibbs). His birth was registered in the district of Armadale, Victoria in 1895, however according to his Attestation Papers Walter Horace Carlyle Buntine listed he was born at Hawksburn, Victoria & from information for the Roll of Honour – his place of birth was listed as Toorak, Victoria.

He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 15th May, 1915 as a 19 year old, single, Medical Student from East St. Kilda, Victoria.

Corporal Walter Horace Carlyle Buntine, Service number 243, embarked from Melbourne, Victoria HMAT Orsova on 17th July, 1915, as confirmed by the Australian War Memorial, with Hospital Transport Corps. (Corporal Buntine is listed on two Embarkation Rolls on the Australian War Memorial website – the other Embarkation Roll listed he had embarked from Brisbane, Queensland on HMAT Kanowna (A61) on 17th July, 1915 with the Army Medical Corps – Hospital Transports). He disembarked at Suez on 12th August, 1915.

On 20th September, 1915 Walter Horace Carlyle Buntine was discharged from Australian Imperial Force in England having been granted a Commission in the Imperial Army - Notts & Derbyshire Regimental Imperial Army (Sherwood Foresters).

Second Lieutenant Walter Horace Carlyle Buntine joined R.F.C. (Royal Flying Corps). He was posted to No. 9 Reserve Squadron at Norwich in April, 1916.

He qualified as Pilot & gained his Royal Aero Club Aviator’s Certificate on 16th May, 1916 at Military School, Thetford, England flying a Maurice Farman Biplane – Royal Aero Club Certificate No. 2982.

On 4th July, 1916 Second Lieutenant Buntine was transferred to No. 11 Squadron.

Second Lieutenant Walter Horace Carlyle Buntine was acting as an escort to a bombing raid near the railway at Irles when his plane (F.E. 2b 6988) was badly damaged & he was wounded in the right arm on 9th September, 1916 in France. His Observer, Sergeant G. J. Morton, was unharmed. Second Lieutenant Buntine was awarded the Military Cross for his action.

He was returned to Australia on furlough. Walter Horace Buntine, Army Officer, aged 21, was a passenger on Kaisar I Hind which departed from the port of London, England on 13th October, 1916 for Australia. He arrived in Fremantle, Western Australia on 21st November, 1916 then on to Sydney, NSW on 27th November, 1916.

A Medical Board was assembled at Victoria Barracks, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 5th December, 1916 for the purpose of examining & reporting on the present state of health of Lieutenant W. H. C. Buntine, Royal Flying Corps. “At Gommecourt (?), France on the 9th September he received a G.S.W. to the right arm causing a compound fracture of the humerous. The wounds have healed & the fracture is united. There is stiffness of the elbow joint. He requires further treatment by massage. He also suffers from marked traumatic neurasthenia.” The injury was caused by Military Service - while flying received wounds from machine guns of enemy aeroplane. The Board found he was not fit for three months.

Another Medical Board was assembled at Victoria Barracks, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 5th February, 1917 for the purpose of examining & reporting on the present state of health of Lieutenant W. H. C. Buntine, Royal Flying Corps. “Since he was last examined by a Medical Board his arm has greatly improved. The bone is quite firm and all the movements of all the joints are satisfactory. He is still Neurasthenic and says that he sleeps badly and is “nervy” & “f___ks” – we do not think he is yet fit for active service in a Flying Corps. – Not fit for three months.”

Second Lieutenant Walter Horace Carlyle Buntine sailed for England in April, 1917.

He was posted to No. 2 (Auxiliary) School of Aerial Gunnery at Turnberry, Scotland & appointed as Instructional Staff at Turnberry Flying School.

On 19th June, 1917 Second Lieutenant Buntine (Observer) & Sergeant Stanley Charles Appleton, Service number 3661, of No. 2 (Auxiliary) School of Aerial Gunnery were flying FE 2b – serial number A817 from Turnberry, Scotland. The Aeroplane stalled on a turn after take off at Dalquhat Farm & burnt after crashing. Both men were killed in the accident.

Second Lieutenant Walter Horace Carlyle Buntine died on 19th June, 1917 at Turnberry, Ayrshire, Scotland as a result of an aeroplane accident.

A Court of Inquiry was held – “Accident due to stalling on a turn at a height insufficient for recovery to be made from ensuing nosedive - at the time of the accident - the machine had not reached the spot appld for practise to be carried out but were gaining their height while on journey out. Machine caught fire on striking ground.”

Second Lieutenant Walter Horace Carlyle Buntine was buried in Doune Cemetery, Girvan, Ayrshire, Scotland – Plot number D. 2 and has a Private Headstone. His death is still acknowledged by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. 

(Sergeant Stanley Charles Appleton was buried in his home town of Warrington, Lancashire).

Lieutenant Walter Horace Carlyle Buntine is remembered on the Commemorative Roll Book, located in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra. The Commemorative Roll records the names of those Australians who died during or as a result of wars in which Australians served, but who were not serving in the Australian Armed Forces and therefore not eligible for inclusion on the Roll of Honour.

(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)

https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/girvan.html