Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

James BONEHAM # 5334 9th Battalion

James Boneham was born at Mount Beppo and attended school at Gregor’s Creek. When he attended the Brisbane recruiting depot on 29th September 1915, he reported he was 27 years old and a farm labourer. He named his mother Kate Boneham of Gregor’s Creek via Yimbun as his next of kin. James’ younger brother Robert enlisted one month later.

James spent time at Enoggera before travelling to Sydney by train to board the “Hawke’s Bay” on 20th April 1916. The embarkation roll for the 17th reinforcements for the 9th Battalion shows 5334 Boneham, James of Gregor’s Creek via Yimbun. James had allocated 4/- of his daily pay to his mother.

The reinforcements disembarked in Egypt but were soon as sea again arriving in Marseilles on 4th June. James would spend almost two months in the huge British transit camp at Etaples before joining the 9th as the battalion was taken out of the line at Pozieres, where the casualties had amounted to almost half the battalion’s strength.

After a period of rest in the Ypres area in Belgium, the 9th returned to the Somme to hold the line during the winter. A large British offensive was planned for the latter half of 1917 in Belgium. The offensive became known as the 3rd Battle of Ypres or more commonly, Passchendaele.
The campaign began with an attack against the German defences at Messines in June and by September and October, the 9th Battalion were engaged in offensive operations at Menin Road in September and Broodseinde Ridge in October.

During the winter of 1917/18, the Australian divisions in Belgium rotated through a program of training, rest, sports and duty in the front line. On 7th March, the 9th was manning the front line trenches at Hollebeke south of Ypres when the Germans launched a heavy artillery barrage comprising high explosive and mustard gas. 160 men had to be evacuated due to gas poisoning, including James Boneham.

James was taken to the 2nd Casualty Clearing Station where his case was assessed as severe. James was loaded onto a hospital train at Poperinghe and taken to the Etaples Military Hospital near Boulogne. James died from the effects of gas on 16th March 1918. The official report classed his death as Died of Wounds.

James was buried in the Etaples Military Cemetery. In June 1918, a parcel of James personal belongings was despatched from the AIF Kit store in London to James’ mother at Gregor Creek. Unfortunately the ship carrying the parcel, the S.S. Barunga, was torpedoed and sank off the Scilly Isles. Over 5000 parcels of personal effects were lost.

James Boneham is commemorated on the War memorials at Esk and Toogoolawah as well as Moore.