Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

In the Red Cross wounded and missing file of Arthur Bonser of the 40th Battalion, a mate reported, “He was buried by a shell at Heilly near Mericourt at about 4pm on the 28 March, with three other men, Ptes. J.Roughly, and Jack Collins of both of D Company 13th Platoon and H.Briggs of C Company. I came up about a quarter of an hour after it happened and they had not been dug up but the bodies were recovered the same night. They had all been killed outright. They were buried the next day close by the church of Heilly.”

All four above named men are buried in the same row in the Heilly Station Cemetery.

Mrs. Bonser, of 106 Queen Street, Sandy Bay, received the following letter regarding her husband, Private Arthur Bonser which was published in the Hobart Mercury during 1918, “Dear Mrs. Bonser- I am just going to write you a few lines, but hardly know what to say to you. Poor Art asked me to write to you if he got killed, as I was his mate. Arthur has been my best mate right up till now, and there is no one here who will miss him more than me, so, as a mate and true friend of his, I am writing you a few lines to tell you how sorry I am for you and your two children. You three were his every-day talk; I really think you were never out of his thoughts; he was always saying what he was going to do when he got back to you. Arthur was killed on the afternoon of the 28th March. There is one thing I can say, he never felt any pain; a shell fell, and killed him instantly. I hope to come back to Tassy someday, and I will come and see you, and tell you a few things that I cannot think of now. There is one thing: Art was a good fighter; he was not frightened of anything. I don't know that I can say any more, except that you have my deepest sympathy at the loss of a good husband. I am, your friend, (Sgd) Pte. G. Arthur Wood, 40th Battalion." France, April 6.