Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Albert Joseph Bonser’s story

My grandfather, Albert Joseph Bonser was born in Northam, Western Australia on the 6th August, 1893. Although he died before I was born, I did hear of his bravery in the face of war. Interestingly, my birthday is April 25th and, with every passing ANZAC Day, my curiosity about my grandfather’s journey through war grew.

On April 3rd 1916, at the age of 23, Albert (Bert) enlisted in the Australian Infantry Division of the Australian Imperial Force. He was issued service number 6223 and commenced training at the Blackboy Hill training camp in Greenmount (a suburb east of Perth).

After a period of training, Bert boarded the SS Suffolk on the 13th October, 1916 in Fremantle. He, and fellow comrades from the D Company, were part of the 16th Battalion, 20th Reinforcements bound for France.

In France, the 16th Battalion fought as part of the 4th Australian Division for numerous Western Front campaigns. During an offensive on the 11th April, 1917, Bert sustained a severe gun-shot to the right shoulder. He was evacuated to England and, after six months of recovery, returned to his battalion in August of that year.

On the 18th September, his bravery was awarded with a promotion to Lance-Corporal. It was only two days later, on the 20th September, that the 4th Australian Division joined the battle of Menin Road. Bert’s battalion advanced to the remnants of Polygon Wood near Zonnebeke where the fighting was ferocious and troops were subject to incessant shelling and machine-gun fire from German pillboxes. For his part in this offensive, Bert was awarded a Military Medal on October 1st 1917. In the recommendation, it mentioned the acts of “… gallant conduct and devotion to duty during the operations near Zonnebeke on the 26th September 1917.” It noted that Bert was “… in charge of the rifle grenade section and in the attack showed most excellent judgement in dealing with and destroying a detached post of enemy troops.”

Albert completed three weeks at the Australian Corps School (military college) in January 1918 then rejoined his battalion prior to the German “Spring Offensives” of late March and early April. The Australian War Memorial (AWM) records the 16th Battalion’s presence in Ancre on the 5th April with “…defensive operations mounted in …the Picardy sector.” Bert was certainly in the midst of this action and no doubt took part in the “…confused fighting along the line of the River Ancre, which helped slow the German advance on Amiens.” (AWM) Unfortunately, he was wounded in action for the second occasion and admitted to hospital on the 6th April with a gun-shot wound to his jaw and right hand.

After returning home, he resumed his previous vocation as a builder and, over the years, the size of his family grew to ten children. All of Albert Bonser’s descendants are extremely proud of the bravery he showed to defend our current freedoms. A cheeky newspaper article from 1918 mentions him and, whilst his medal is noted, the paper also suggests he was “Bonser by name and Bonser by Nature.”

References:

‘Ancre, 1918’ https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/E61

‘Arras, 1918’ https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/E96

‘Peeps at People’ Sunday Times (Perth), Sunday 24 March 1918, p20. https://trove.nla.gov.au

‘Australian Corps School’ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15775356

‘Albert Joseph Bonser SERN 6223’ https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au