BOUNDEY, John Richard
| Service Number: | 2859 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 23 February 1916, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Trooper |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Walloway, South Australia, 22 June 1890 |
| Home Town: | Tumby Bay, Tumby Bay, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Beersheba, Palestine, 31 October 1917, aged 27 years |
| Cemetery: |
Beersheba War Cemetery Row C, Grave No. 38, |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Tumby Bay RSL Portrait Memorials, Tumby Bay War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2859, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Jul 1916: |
Embarked
AIF WW1, Private, 2859, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '1' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: SS Walwa embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' |
|
| 16 Nov 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2859, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Egypt and Palestine - Light Horse and AFC Operations, Taken on strength after in theatre training | |
| 31 Oct 1917: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Trooper, 2859, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Battle of Beersheba, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2859 awm_unit: 3rd Australian Light Horse Regiment awm_rank: Trooper awm_died_date: 1917-10-31 |
A Soldiers Story
Jack was born at Black Rock (near Orroroo, SA) on 22 Jun 1890 to Richard Boundey and Mary Jane Boundey (nee Carter). There were 12 children in the family, 3 boys and 9 girls, of which he was the second youngest. His father was a farmer.
The family, less the 3 eldest daughters, moved from Orroroo to Lincoln Gap at the turn of the century and commenced farming there. After 3 years of drought the family walked off the farm, leaving all their equipment behind, and moved to a cottage in Durdin’s Road, near Tumby Bay.
On the movement of the family to Tumby Jack worked on a number of local farms, as well as mines in the Tumby Bay area until his enlistment in the Army in Feb 1916; at that time he listed his occupation as labourer. This was his second attempt at enlisting, the first failing on medical grounds.
After enlistment he was posted to Base Light Horse at Mitcham for training, on completion of which he was transferred to 20th Reinforcements/3rd Light Horse Regiment (3rd LH Regt). On 27 Jul 1916 he embarked at Outer Harbour (Adelaide) aboard RMS “Malwa” bound for the Middle East, arriving on 25 Aug 1916, and was immediately placed into an isolation camp at Moascar because of mumps. He was eventually released from hospital and joined his unit on 5 Nov 1916.
The 3rd LH Regt was raised in Adelaide in late 1914 with one of its three squadrons (sqns) being raised in Tasmania. It, along with 1st and 2nd LH Regts, were part of 1st LH Brigade (Bde) and saw action in Gallipoli, without their horses , before returning to Egypt in Dec 1915. Back in Egypt, the 3rd Light Horse joined the ANZAC Mounted Division. Between January and May 1916, the regiment was deployed to protect the Nile Valley from bands of pro-Turkish Senussi Arabs. On 18 May, as part of 1st LH Bde, it joined the forces defending the Suez Canal. It played a significant role in turning back the Turkish advance on the canal at the battle of Romani on 4 Aug 1916. In the ensuing days the regiments of the brigade participated in the immediate follow-up of the defeated Turks, and were then withdrawn to rest.
The 3rd LH Regt rejoined the Allied advance across the Sinai in Nov 1916 and was subsequently involved in the fighting to secure the Turkish outposts on the Palestine frontier at Maghdaba on 23 Dec 1916. It was during this action that Jack was wounded in action (WIA) with gunshot wounds to neck and shoulder and again was sent to hospital, this time back to 14th Army General Hospital in Cairo (Egypt). After almost 2 months in hospital he returned to his unit, which was now located at El Arish.
A stint of protective duty along the line of communications through the Sinai followed. The 3rd LH Regt's next major engagement was the abortive second battle of Gaza on 19 Apr 1917 and it was during this action that it was again back to hospital for Jack, and again it was back to Cairo; this time with a shoulder injury suffered when his horse was shot and rolled on him. After a further 2 months in hospital he returned to his unit on 7 Jun 1917.
Gaza finally fell on 7 Nov 1917, after a wide outflanking move via Beersheba, in which the 1st LH Bde played a major part. With the capture of Gaza, the Turkish positions in southern Palestine collapsed. Unfortunately Jack did not get to see any of this as he was killed in action (KIA) by a shell on 31 Oct 1917 in Palestine during these actions. He is buried in Beersheba War Cemetery.
A note from the Army to his mother states in part “... please remit by money order direct to London for a copy of War Graves of the British Empire Cemetery Register.” Not a particularly caring missive.
Jack’s mother received a pension of one pound ($2) a fortnight for the loss of her son!
Submitted 5 April 2020 by Geoffrey Stewart
Biography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College
Trooper John Richard Boundey, 2859, was born on the 22nd of June 1890, on a small farm near Orroroo, South Australia. He was born to Mr Richard Boundey, and his wife, Mrs Mary Jane Boundey, who already had 10 children. Boundey lived with his family on this farm for the first 14 years of his life before moving to another farm in Tumby Bay. Boundey’s schooling life was short, and he worked on his father’s farm until he was old enough to get his own job. At the age of 16, Boundey began working as a labourer in Tumby Bay. He was a strict Anglican and never married.
On February the 23rd 1916, at the age of 25 years and 7 months, John Richard Boundey enlisted to join the Australian Imperial Forces (A.I.F.). He enlisted at the Adelaide office, which is also where he had his medical examination. On the 6th of March, he joined the ‘C’ company 2nd depot battalion at the Mitcham Training Camp, where he completed his basic training. From the 1st of March to the 26th of July, Boundey joined the 19th and 20th reinforcements of the 3rd Australian Light Horse and continued his training. Boundey embarked the SS Malwa in Adelaide on the 27th of July, 1916.
Boundey arrived at the strength isolation camp in Moascar, Egypt, on the 25th of August. A month later, on the 23rd of September, Boundey joined the 1st Light Horse training regiment in Moascar. On the 5th of November, he joined the 3rd Australian Light Horse Regiment, with which he stayed for the rest of his service. On the 14th of November, the regiment moved to Ge’eila, Egypt.
At 0900 hours, on the 23rd of December 1916, the Ottoman special outpost at Magdhaba was attacked by a select number of Allied troops. Soon after, the Australian Light Horsemen arrived at the enemy trenches. They participated in hand to hand fighting for many hours until the land was captured. They gained the only water source in that part of the desert, leaving the Ottomans without water. They also captured 5 officers and 234 other ranks. Boundey was shot in the right shoulder and neck during this battle. At 1300 hours, Boundey left Magdhaba to receive treatment for his wounds at the El Arish Military Hospital. Boundey spent the next month and a half recovering in the El Arish Military Hospital and the 27th General Hospital in Abbassia. He re-joined the 3rd Australian Light Horse Regiment on 11th of February 1917, in Moascar.
On the 26th of March 1917, Boundey and other Allied troops participated in the First Battle of Gaza, across the Palestinian border. Gaza was not only a gateway to the rest of Palestine, but it was the heart of the Ottoman defence in the Sinai region and Palestine. After fighting for hours, the troops were called to withdraw after dark. The troops had failed to capture the town centre and its water supply, which was their main objective. This retreat, seemed to be a great disappointment, as the Allies had suffered over 4,000 casualties and they had been unable to hold onto any ground that they had gained.
After many weeks of contemplating a new plan to capture Gaza, the Allies believed that they could be successful in reaching their objective. Their new plan consisted of some troops attacking from the front, the same way as last time, but also troops going in from the east and troops coming from behind. This meant that the Ottomans could not get aid and support troops into Gaza, and troops were surrounded and trapped inside the town centre. The Allied troops attacked before dawn on April the 19th, 1917, and the fighting continued through the night. The Allied troops were given six tanks, high explosive shells, and gas shells to use. This was the first time gas shells were ever used against the Ottomans. The Ottomans used machine guns, high explosive shells, shrapnel, and heavy rifle fire. This was the bloodiest battle the Australians fought in during the Sinai and Palestine campaign. The Australian Light Horsemen made some ground in a select number of places, but after 2 days of constant fighting, no significant advance had been made. This meant the Australians and Allied troops were called to retreat, for a second time.
On the 25th of May 1917, whilst training in Shellal, Boundey suffered a back contusion. Boundey and his horse fell, and as his horse recovered, his foot was jammed in the stirrup and he was dragged for 500 yards. He was in the Kantara general hospital recovering for almost a month. On the 20th of June 1917, he re-joined the 3rd Light Horse Regiment in Moascar. The day after, Boundey and his regiment journeyed to Marakeb.
At 2355 hours, on the 30th of October 1917, the Australian Light Horsemen departed Asluj. In the early hours of the morning on the 31st of October 1917, Boundey spent his time clearing civilians off of the main road. At 0230 hours, the Australian Light Horsemen met with other Allied troops in Khalasa. At 1500 hours, the order came for the Australia Light Horsemen to advance off their lines towards Be’er Sheva. At 1700 hours, two hostile aeroplanes dropped five bombs on the brigade, killing killed 4 and wounding 28 men. 46 horses were killed, and 16 were wounded.
Trooper John Richard Boundey was killed on the 31st of October 1917, at approximately 1700 hours in Be’er Sheva by one of these enemy shells. At 1730 hours, the battle ended and Be’er Sheva had been captured by the Australians. On the 1st of November 1917, Trooper John Richard Boundey was buried at the Be’er Sheva War Cemetery, in grave C.38, Be’er Sheva, Palestine.
Trooper John Richard Boundey, 2859, was awarded the WWl Star 1914-1915, British War Medal (43957), Victory Medal (43477) and the Memorial Plaque and Scroll (337876), in recognition of his service in the Australian Imperial Forces, as an Australian Light Horseman.
Bibliography
T THE MITCHAM CAMP. (1916). Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), [online] 14 Feb., p.6. Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/59808030 [Accessed 16 Feb. 2021].
corporateName=Department of Veterans’ Affairs; address=21 Genge St, C.C. (n.d.). Training Australian army recruits during World War I | Anzac Portal. [online] anzacportal.dva.gov.au. Available at: https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/military-organisation/training [Accessed 16 Feb. 2021].
Obituary. (1921). Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), [online] 25 Jun., p.34. Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/89250297?searchTerm=John%20Richard%20Boundey [Accessed 16 Feb. 2021].
trove.nla.gov.au. (n.d.). Trove. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/229153346?keyword=John%20Richard%20Boundey [Accessed 16 Feb. 2021].
Virtual War Memorial Australia. (n.d.). 3rd Australian Light Horse Brigade. [online] Available at: https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1012663/bundled/RCDIG1012663.pdf [Accessed 7 Mar. 2021].
Virtual War Memorial Australia. (n.d.). 3rd Australian Light Horse Brigade December 1916. [online] Available at: https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1012658/bundled/RCDIG1012658.pdf [Accessed 7 Mar. 2021].
Virtual War Memorial Australia. (n.d.). 3rd Australian Light Horse Brigade October 1917. [online] Available at: https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1016563/bundled/RCDIG1016563.pdf [Accessed 7 Mar. 2021].
vwma.org.au. (n.d.). 3rd Light Horse Regiment. [online] Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/180 [Accessed 28 Feb. 2021].
vwma.org.au. (n.d.). 3rd Light Horse Regiment. [online] Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/180 [Accessed 7 Mar. 2021].
www.awm.gov.au. (n.d.). | The Australian War Memorial. [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51037 [Accessed 16 Feb. 2021].
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www.awm.gov.au. (n.d.). AWM4 Subclass 10/3 - 3rd Australian Light Horse Brigade. [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1338857 [Accessed 16 Feb. 2021].
www.cwgc.org. (n.d.). Casualty Details | CWGC. [online] Available at: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/644303/JOHN [Accessed 7 Mar. 2021].
Biography
Father John ‘Richard’ Boundey (d. 1921) and Mother Mrs Mary Jane (nee Carter)
of Tumby Bay, SA
Described on enlisting as 25 years 7 months old; single; 5’ 8 ½” tall; 140 lbs;
fresh complexion; hazel eyes; light brown hair; Church of England.
23/2/1916 Completed medical in Adelaide – fit for service
Enlisted in Adelaide
6/3/1916 Commanding Officer appointed John to
‘C’ Company 2nd Depot Battalion - Mitcham Camp
1/5-30/6/1916 Transferred to 19th reinforcements, 3rd Light Horse
1/7/1916 Transferred to 20th reinforcements, 3rd Light Horse
27/7/1916 Embarked from Adelaide on SS Malwa
25/8/1916 Taken on strength Isolation Camp, Moascar, Egypt
23/9/1916 to 1st Light Horse Training Regiment, Moascar
5/11/1916 Transferred to 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Moascar
14/11/1916 Joined regiment from details - Gekila
The 3rd Light Horse rejoined the Allied advance across the Sinai in November and was subsequently involved in the fighting to secure the Turkish outposts on the Palestine frontier - Maghdaba on 23 December 1916 and Rafa on 9 January 1917.
23/12/1916 Wounded in action - gun shot wounds in the neck and right shoulder at El Arish.
To hospital – struck off strength
24/12/1916 Admitted and transferred to NZ Mounted Field Ambulance
27/12/1916 Transferred to Kilo 139 – El Arish
1/1/1917 Transferred to ‘Niagara’ for 31st General Hospital, Kantara
Admitted ex 24th Stationary Hospital – Port Said
11/1/1917 Transferred to Cairo per Hospital train, Port Said
Admitted to 31st General Hospital, Abbassia
15/1/1917 Transferred to Convalescent Depot, Abbassia
8/2/1917 Discharged to details from Conv Depot, ex Abbassia at Moascar
Taken on strength – 1st Light Horse Regiment – ex hospital
11/2/1917 Transferred to 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Moascar
14/2/1917 Taken on strength 3rd Light Horse Regiment - from details, El Abb
He returned to service in February 1917.
A stint of protective duty along the line of communications through the Sinai followed.
The 3rd’s next major engagement was the abortive second battle of Gaza on 19 April 1917 (Gaza finally fell on 7 November).
May 1917 taken sick (Contusion of Back) at Shellal.
He had fallen together with a horse, which then rolled over on him, got up
and then dragged him for 500 yards, with his foot jammed in the stirrup.
29/5/1917 Transferred to Cairo
Admitted to 14th Australian General Hospital, Abbassia
8/6/1917 Discharged to Moascar, ex Abbassia
Taken on strength ex hospital – into 1st Light Horse Regiment
20/6/1917 Transferred to 3rd Light Horse Regiment - Moascar
21/6/1917 Taken on strength 3rd Light Horse Regiment - Marakeb
The 3rd Light Horse Brigade played a major part in the Battle of Beersheba in October 1917.
31/10/1917 killed by a shell in Palestine (Israel) – 27 years old
1/11/1917 buried in Grave No.34
Beersheba Military Cemetery by Chaplain J H Bates
at the head of each grave a gum tree has been planted.
Later changed with AIF headstone – Row C, Grave No. 38.
Medals:
WWI Star 1914-15; British War medal (43957); Victory medal (43477);
Memorial Plaque and Memorial Scroll (337876).
Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan. 8 October 2014. Lest we forget.
Click images to start slideshow.