Horace William BONNER (aka Tom) [1901-1941] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Horace William BONNER (aka Tom) [1901-1941]

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Submitted by brian edgar on Wed, 2013-12-18 16:29
Names
Given: 
Horace William
Family: 
Bonner
Alias / nickname: 
Tom
Sex: 
Male
Status: 
Deceased
Birth
Date: 
1901-10-15
Birthplace (town, state): 
Woolwich, London
Birthplace (country): 
England
Death
Date: 
1941-12-22

Horace William Bonner was a corporal in the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps.

During the December 1941 hostilities he worked with the army master baker Patrick Sheridan at the Field Bakery at Deep Water Bay. He was killed at Overbays on December 23, 1941 (in fact December 22nd - see comments below).

Staff-Sergeant Sheridan says he spoke Chinese and pays tribute to his work on more than one occasion.

He was aged 40 at death.

Sources:

Tony Banham, Not the Slightest Chance, 2003, 223.

Patrick James Sheridan, Unpublished Memoir (kindly made available to me by Helen Dodd and her sisters).

http://www.roll-of-honour.org.uk/b/html/bonner-horace-william.htm

Note:

Sheridan refers to him as 'Fred Bonner' but there's no doubt as to his identity - 'Fred' might have been a nickname, or a mistake.

Connections: 
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Comments

Submitted by Karen on Mon, 2014-08-18 13:23.

Horace William Bonner was known as Tom Bonner, he was a security guard at Tai Khoo Dockyard. 

Birth date 15th October 1901, in Woolwich London.

Father Edgar John and Mother Ada

He joined the HKVDC on 7th December 1941. Died in combat at Overbays 22nd December 1941. 

Father to Julia and Dolores husband to Raquel Bonner all were interned at Stampley Camp for the duration of the war.

Survived by his daughters who both now reside in Australia.

In loving memory and respect I thought I needed to clarify these details.

Signed his Granddaughter (Julia's daughter) Karen Young

Submitted by David on Mon, 2014-08-18 18:39.

Thanks Karen, I've added the extra information above, and also corrected the date of his death from 23rd to 22nd Dec 1941 (Page 223 of Not the Slightest Chance lists Horace's death in the roll of honour for 23rd of Dec, but with the note "[22 Dec.]". On the Hong Kong War Diary website the date of death is given as 22 Dec.)

We also have brief pages for:

You can click the "What links here" tab on any of them to see mentions of your family in the wartime diaries.

Regards, David

Submitted by brian edgar on Wed, 2014-08-20 18:16.

Yes, thanks Karen for the correction and new information.

There is one more mention of Mr. Bonner in Patrick Sheridan's Memoir; it relates to a time in the years leading up to the war:

 I have noticed that concrete blockhouses are being built at various points round the Island. Two H.K.V.D.C. men are attached to the Bakery for a week. Jan Tuck and a man named Bonner. Both work for civilian firms in Hong Kong. I have to set up a field bakery on a spare piece of ground just above Kennedy road. This is to give them an insight of what it would be like in wartime. It is also more practice for the Chinese bakers.

Submitted by annpake on Thu, 2020-04-02 00:36.

His widow married William Roy Worrall in Port Sanley Hong Kong 2 January 1943 and they are buried in Buderim New South Wales.