Bonney, Arthur John (Oral history)

British private served with 2nd Bn South Wales Borderers in Gallipoli and on Western Front, 1915-1917; sunk aboard Royal Edward, 14/8/1915

REEL 1 Background in Hackney, east London, 1895-1914. Redundancy on outbreak of war and enlistment into 2/10th Bn London Regt, 8/1914. Recollections of period at Honiton Work House, White City and Crowborough, 8/1914-3/1915: promotion to corporal; training; stories of guard duty and tactical exercise illustrating growing disillusionment with unit; relationship with officers; problems with discipline with some other ranks. Background to desertion whilst on leave and joining South Wales Borderers at Shoreditch Town Hall, 3/1915. Detection of previous experience whilst training with 3rd Bn South Wales Borderes at Pembroke, 3/1915-8/1915. Recollections of inclusion in draft for 2nd Bn South Wales Borderers at Gallipoli and voyage aboard Royal Edward, 8/1915: question of destination. REEL 2 Continues: removal from first draft and leave prior to inclusion in second draft; send off at Southampton; lifeboat drill; conditions; visit to Alexandria, Egypt; question of submarine threat. Account of torpedo sinking of Royal Edward, period in water, climbing into lifeboat and eventual rescue by HMT Sudan, 14/8/1915. Period at Alexandria, 8/1915: re-equipment; fellow survivor's story. Recollections of conditions of service and lifestyle with D Coy, 2nd Bn South Wales Borderers at Suvla, Gallipoli, Turkey, 8/1915-10/1915: landing under shellfire from lighters; situation on beach. REEL 3 Continues: move inland and reception on joining unit; terrain; situation; nature of trenches; food rations; water supply; latrines; lice and fly problems; prevalence of dysentery; daily routine; shelling; sniping. REEL 4 Continues: special friend; sick parade during rest period at Lemnos, Greece and consequent evacuation with dysentery and jaundice aboard hospital ship to Alexandria, 10/1915; periods in support trenches. Period at Valetta, Malta, 10/1915-12/1915: convalescence; fighting between Australian troops and Maltese civilians. Rejoining unit at Mustapha Pasha Barracks, Alexandria, 12/1915. Period on Suez Canal, 12/1915-2/1915: duties as Company sergeant major's servant; story of party for pre war regular NCOs and their reaction to news of Bonney's earlier desertion from 2/10th Bn London Regt; patrolling activities. Voyage to Marseilles, France, 3/1916. Recollections of service on Western Front, 3/1916-4/1917: train journey; preliminary bombardment on move into Somme area, 6/1916; German raid on front line; assignment to reserve cadre and visits to front line with Major Raikes during attack on Beaumont Hamel, 1/7/1916-2/7/1916; close escape from shell on Jacobs Ladder, Thiepville sector, 7/1916. REEL 5 Continues: story of meeting Edward VII at Guinchy Corner, 7/1916; story of acting as runner back to brigade headquarters to call up artillery support during German surprise attack at Arras, 4/1917; story of being wounded in arm by shellfire and evacuation, 4/1917; comparison of Western Front and Gallipoli conditions; story of accidentally leading a party of King's Own Scottish Borderers into German lines in Arras area, 1916; story of inexperienced officer; reasons for refusal of promotion. Hospital and convalescence in Scotland, 1917. Posting for retraining to Northern Command Camp at Prescot, Liverpool, 1917: avoidance of duties on medical grounds; opinion of instructors; re-hospitalisation and discharge as unfit, 5/1918.