Plantagenet |
War of the Roses 1455-58 |
The House of Plantagenet |
Plantagenet |
Plantagenet |
War of the Roses 1455-58 |
The House of Plantagenet |
Plantagenet |
Harry Bond
Service number 14666.
Privet Harry Bond |
Harry was born 6th April 1864; to parents James Robert and Anne Maria Bond of Kilburn London England. He enlisted in the Australian military forces; Bunbury Western Australia Thursday 12th April 1917, he was a family man with a cheeky smile.
Harry Bond and his wife Kate Elizabeth were living in Balingup Western Australia in 1917; three of their five children Violet aged seventeen, Lena Rose aged fifteen and Cyril Leonard aged thirteen were still living at the family home in Forrest street Balingup. (Kilburn house)
Eldest daughter Lilian Bertha was living in Perth Western Australia with her husband Arthur Fitzgerald Chapman from c1916 and she was aged twenty-three in 1917.
The Eldest son Robert Vivian was aged twenty-one and convalescing in Boscombe military hospital England 1st April 1917. He was suffering from the after effects of a gas attack in the front-line trenches of France, where he was serving at the time. He had been serving in the Australian military since 1914 and was not supportive of his father Harry enlisting for military service. He may have been comforted in his assumption that his father would be home looking after things; during this time of conflict.
It is very clear that Harry would have had compelling incentives to remain at home where he had his loving wife and three teenage children depending on his support and his being around. We must give him credit for the decision he made back then to enlist and serve his time, do his bitt. Knowing of his son Robert’s close call with death and possibly knowing of other local men who had not survived gas attacks in the trenches; he surely took account, of the possibility that he may not return.
On the 12th April 1917 in the town of Bunbury Western Australia Harry Bond of Balingup enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, unit A.S.C (May, Reinforcements)
The A.S.C (Army Service Corps) was a complicated unit of Companies that provided other units with specialised services. The enlistment paper has no birth date entered, but Harry has stated his age as being forty-four years; a clear understatement by nine years given his birth date is 6th April 1864 in London England.
Harry was putting his age down from fifty-three to forty-four; to be eligible for enlistment for service in the army, and he has achieved his goal, for the time being.
In his application, he has nominated his calling as being a baker. He was possibly putting himself forward to an area in the army where he may not see too much action; in the catering services.
Enlistment Form Harry Bond |
He appears on English records for the last time with his London family in the 1881 England Census; Occupation Carpenter. In pre and post-war Balingup records, his calling moves from gardener to fettler and back to carpenter over a forty-five-year period. There is no mention of Harry having baking skills in any Electoral Rolls pre or post-war Balingup.
It’s from here in Harry’s enlistment record that he begins to state truths in that his wife is Kate Elizabeth Bond and that his permanent address is the town of Balingup WA, also he has no prior military service nor had he ever been rejected for military service.
Harry next indicates that he is perfectly willing to be inoculated against small pox and enteric fever, he was not about to let a jab or two in an arm stop him from enlisting. Finally, near the bottom of the enlistment record he allots no less than three-fifths of his army pay to the support of his wife and children.
Amongst other military records for Harry, is a Will document that simply informs us that his will has been lodged with the Secretary of the Roads Board Balingup W.A, and an indication that he has taken account of the possibility he may not return.
Age enlistment requirements in 1917 would have been made clear to all men offering themselves for military service, 18 – 47 years of age. By reducing his age Harry would have been offering to give three years of service.
We have men under age and men over age who are willing to do what is necessary to be enlisted into the services during WW1. In Harry Bonds case, he may have been attracted by the prospect of three years of reliable income for his family and an opportunity to travel back to the UK and his home town of London. Thousands of service men may have managed to work around the age requirement and Harry would not have been in a minority group at the time, but a group with multiple reasons for why they enlisted.
Training camp at Black boy Hill Perth Western Australia was home for Harry and his fellow soldiers, from 1st May 1917 with periodic visits back to his family in Balingup. Military records indicate approximately a three-month time frame between training and embarkation for Sydney 1st August 1917 to sail for the UK 21st September 1917 on board SS Orita Halifax, disembarking Liverpool, UK 3rd October 1917. A very busy time for the men after signing up and training, before they are shipped off across an ocean.
Mr. Harry Bond returned to camp from long leave on Monday, 21st.
He expects to sail for France on or about the 23rd inst.
Trove; National Library of Australia, The Blackwood Times Bunbury WA, Balingup Notes.
Fri 25th May 1917
Blackboy Hill Training Camp, Greenmount Perth W.A |
This must have been a traumatic time for the family, knowing that their father was going off to the war over aged and may well find himself on the front line in France. Baking bread or not they considered the front a dangerous place for him to be.
While Private Harry Bond was going through his training at Black boy hill or at some time after, his wife Kate was at work behind the scenes thinking up a way to scuttle her husband’s plans of a full three years of service in the army or at best preventing his movement to France.
Son Robert Vivian Bond may have received news from his mother, Kate; of his father’s successful enlistment and subsequent deployment to England and on to France and at some time he decided to intervene and have his father discharged from active service on the grounds of being over age.
From October 1917 through to December 1917 Harry's service in England seems to be going well, there are no statements in his service record to suggest he has been discovered.
On the 31st January 1918, his service record indicates that his game is up, he has been sprung and he is to return to Australia (discharge) reason senility. The family have got there way and their father is coming home where he belongs, thankfully to Viv's intervention.
On the 6th April 1918 Harry returns to Fremantle Western Australia on board RMS Osterley, and records state, Discharged 5th MD 24th April 1918.
RMS Osterley Homeward Bound |
Harry and Kate Bond remained living in Balingup up until August 1946 when they made the move to Bunbury, there is abundant community records at Trove Australia in the form of newspaper articles from the Balingup News giving acknowledgements in their community participation.
Harry his son Robert Vivian and others returned soldiers received a big welcome home from the Balingup town community, this is well documented Balingup News at Trove Australia.
Copyright © Noel Bond. Researched and written by Noel Bond, No written part of this Blog may be reproduced in any form, by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author.
The Marshal, arguably the greatest Knight that ever lived according to Archbishop Stephen Langto, and also living at the time.
In his career William Marshal served five Kings: King Henry II,Young King Henry, King Richard I, King John, King Henry III.
Game of Thrones fans will recognise the Marshals life achievements with those of the character Sir Barristan Selmy, the commander of the Kings-guard.
William Marshal was born in the year 1146 Pembroke Shire, Wales; the younger son to Sir John Fitzgilbert Marshal and Lady Sibilla De Salisbury. Being the youngest and last in line for any inheritance from his fathers wealth, and also of low family station in his fathers eyes, William had little prospect of achieving any notoriety in his life.
In the year 1153 Williams father Sir John was in command of the garrison defending Newbury Castle against King Stephen.
The King demanded that the Castle be given up to him to which the captain of the defending garrison replied "No", let me consult with my commander to which the King agreed and gave one day truce for the consultation with the commander John Marshal. The following day after the truce the captain of the defending garrison requested an extension to the truce so as the commander John Marshal may consult with the Empress Matilda.
King Stephen granted an extension but demanded to take a son of the Commander as hostage as surety to the surrender of the Castle. John Marshal gave up his son William to the King as hostage. John fortified the garrison at Newbury Castle further and after the truce expired, he refused to give up the Castle to King Stephen risking the life of his son William.
On learning of the possible fait of his son, hanging or being catapulted to the Castle wall; John Marshal replied I have the Hammer and I have the Anvil to make more like him.
King Stephen having seen the innocents and bravery that the young boy showed through-out his ordeal, relented in his plan to do the boy any harm. So the young William Marshal survived his first brush with possible death, he remained hostage for some months after.
As the youngest son of John Marshal William had no or very little claim to inheritance from his father and was destined to make his own way in life from the very beginning. At the age of twelve when his fathers career was winding down. William was sent to Normandy to be brought up by his mothers cousin William De Tancarville were he received paratactical lessons and training in chivalry as a knight.
Young William was showing good aptitude in all his studies and gathering number of enemies in the Court of Tancarville.
In the year 1166 he was engaged in his first battle in Upper Normandy with mixed Reviews as to his success, he was nighted during this his first campaign.
At the age of twenty-one in the year 1167 he was sponsored by William De Tancarville in his first Tournament, here he found his calling and began his training that put him on the road towards becoming the Tournament champion.
In the year 1168 William Marshal served in the household of his maternal uncle Patrick Earl of Salisbury. The same year William was a part of an escort to Queen Eleanor moving near the border of her Provence of Aquitaine. The party was ambushed by Guy De Lusignan, Queen Eleanor escaped the ambush her brother Patrick Earl of Salisbury was killed during the melee and William was taken for ransom with a wound to his thigh. While in custody William was delivered fresh clean dressings for his wound concealed in a loaf of bread. A kind act that may have prevented infection taking hold due to his wound. Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine met his ransom, and William remains in Eleanors household for a further two years, building on his reputation as a chivalrous Knight during this time.
William was appointed tutor in arms to the son of Eleanor and King Henry II Plantagenet, Henry the young King in the year 1170.
William and Henry the young King gained approval to travel Europe taking part in tournaments up against other nights and soon the young King was gaining prestige for himself from winning his tournaments, under the guide of the Marshal, 1176 -1182. Tournaments were dangerous gatherings of Knights where mock battles took place between teems and single Knight to Knight contest. It is said that William Marshal on his death bed recalled that he had personally defeated five hundred Knights in his tournament career.
Depiction of Mounted Battle the the Tournament |
Depiction of a Knights Templar |
In the days prior to the death of King Henry II, he had promised the hand and estates of Isabel De Clare to William, but unfortunately had not completed the arrangements. All was not lost because the new King Richard was most happy to honour the arrangement of marriage of William Marshal and Isabel De Clare and the marriage took place August 1189 in London. Though his marriages to Isabel, William Marshal has now arrived financially and in higher status from military captain and Knight; he is now one of the most wealthy men in England. Isabel brings with her large estates in England, Ireland, Normandy and Wales however Pembroke was not included as one of the estates in the marriage; William is now Lord Marshal of England.
King Richard I departed England in 1190 for the Holy Lands and his third Crusade, William was appointed in the council of regency before Richards departure. William was on the side of Richards brother John when he expelled Justiciar William Longchamp from the Kingdom and his duties. William soon discovered that Johns motives didn't correlate to those of the King and he declared War on John along with loyalist to the King 1193.
In the year 1194 Williams older brother John Marshal was killed while defending Marlborough for John, William was granted his brothers title Earl Marshal and his paternal honour Hamstead Marshal by King Richard on his return to England. William accompanied Richard in his wars against King Philip of France in the land of Normandy after his return to England, conflict between Richard and Philip had been on going from the time that Richard broke his betrothal with Philips sister in the year 1191 and the conflict remained on simmer until King Richards death 6 April 1199. Conflicts over laying Conflicts seems to be the ongoing theme of these times.
King Richard I (The Lionheart) has died and William Marshal is now in support of Richards brother John, being the next King of England. Others in court are supporting Arthur of Brittany the son of John's brother Geoffrey II Duke of Brittany, John was crowned King John of England 27 May 1199.
William Marshal was still involved in the Defence of Normandy against the House of France, (Philip of France) from 1200 to1203.
William and King John abandoned the Duchy in 1203 and had a consequent falling out over the mater, in days that followed. In 1204 William returned with the Earl of Leicester as ambassadors to negotiate a truce with King Philip. William was given special considerations by King John to also pay homage too Philip over his land holdings in Normandy. William should have seen that when dealing with Kings that things can turn sour at the drop of a hat.
When William paid homage too Philip, John spat the dummy and took offence and a row broke out in his court. By1207 the air between William and King John was hostile and John was turning against Irish Barons including William Marshal. During the conflict between King John and the Barons 1207 - 1215 William remained loyal to the King, even after having his own lands in Ireland invaded by Meilyr Fiz Henry on be half of King John, the attack was seen off by Countess Isabel Marshal after considerable property damage.
The Baron's (this time is known as the Barons war) joined united in their quest to get King John to sign a document of agreement, that document being the Magna Carta, singed 15 June 1215 at Runnymede.
Magna Carta Island, Runnymede |
19 October 1216 at the age of forty-nine King John died, on his death bed he entrusts in William Marshal to see his nine year old son Henry is crowned King of England. Despite their past on and off relationship King John had total faith in the Marshals total loyalty to the Crown. The Marshal took responsibility for the funeral and burial of the King at Worcester Cathedral. The barons of the Kings council, loyal to King John appointed William to serve as Protector of the nine year old King Henry III, and regent of the kingdom.
William Marshal 1st Earl of Pembroke died 11 March 1220, at his estate, Caversham Manor, Berkshire.
William Marshal Temple Church |
Issue of William and Isabel:
1. William Marshal 1190 - 6 April 1231
2. Richard Marshal 1191 - 1 April 1234
3. Maud Marshal 1192 - 27 March 1248
4. Gilbert Marshal 1194 - 27 June 1241
5. Walter Marshal 1196 -24 November 1245
6. Anselm Marshal 198 - 22 December 1245
7. Isabel Marshal 9 October 1200 - 17 January 1240
8. Sibyl Marshal 1201 - before 1238
9. Joan Marshal 1202 - 1234
10. Eva Marshal 1203 - 1246
Copyright © Noel Bond. Researched and written by Noel Bond, No written part of this Blog may be reproduced in any form, by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author.
I distinctly remember way back in my childhood days in the 1950 - 60s being exposed to the name Winston Churchill, in school studies and ne...