Jim Bonella

Jim Bonella
Born
James Henry Bonella

17 December 1884
Maldon, Victoria
Died24 May 1918(1918-05-24) (aged 33)
Étaples, France
Military service
AllegianceAustralia
Branch
Australian Army
Service years
1915 – 1918
Rank
Private
Service number98
Unit
Australian rules football career
Personal information
Original team Pembroke
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1908 Melbourne 1 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1908.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

James Henry Bonella (17 December 1884 – 24 May 1918) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL), under the name of Jim Bonelli.

He died of gunshot wounds received whilst on active service in France during World War I.[1] He was remembered as being very popular, and "a cheery soul".[1]

Early life

The son of Pietro Egidio "Peter" Bonelli (1844–1888),[a] and Margaret née Williams (1850–1928),[b][2] James Henry Bonelli[c] was born at Maldon, Victoria on 17 December 1884.

He married Eliza 'Lila' Puncher (1885–1968) in 1912.[3] They had one son,[4] James Avenel 'Arie' Bonella (1913–2002).[d]

Eliza's brother and Jim's brother-in-law, Private James Samuel Puncher (regimental number 482) was killed in action in France on 21 November 1916, serving with the 21st Battalion.[5][6][7] He is buried at the AIF Burial Grounds north of Flers, Somme, France.[8]

Football career

Bonella played in the Victorian Junior Association[9] with Pembroke Football Club, South Melbourne, which was formed about 1889.[10] It was noted in the game against Yarraville in August 1908, "if this player would only play more to his club mates, and not run so much, he would be one of the finest juniors playing".[11]

Recruited from Pembroke, he played one senior match for the Melbourne Football Club, in the last match of the season, on a very muddy ground, against Fitzroy, at the Brunswick Street Oval on 5 September 1908.[12]

There had been a two-week break between rounds 17 and 18 due to the 1908 Melbourne Carnival. Melbourne's Dick Fowler, recruited from Caulfield Grammar School, and Fitzroy's Tom Norton, recruited from Hawthorn, also played their first and only senior VFL matches on that day.[13]

Bonella returned to Pembroke, and played for them in 1909, where in one May game he was given to have "played brilliant football".[14]

Military service

Working as a picture-framer, Bonella enlisted in the First Australian Imperial Force on 18 January 1915.[15] At time of enlistment aged 31, he was given to be 5 feet 5.75 inches (1.67 m) height, 123 pounds (56 kg) weight, and a chest of 34 inches (86 cm).

Embarking from Melbourne, Victoria, on HMAT Ulysses (A38) on 10 May 1915, he served overseas as a private in the 2nd Battalion, Australian Machine Gun Corps. He was on the HMAT Southland when it was torpedoed in the Aegean Sea on 2 September 1915.[1]

Death

After three years active service in Gallipoli, Egypt, and France,[4] at the time of the German spring offensive, Bonella was severely wounded in his left thigh, whilst in action with the 21st Battalion, A Company, on 20 May 1918.[15] He was evacuated to a military hospital. Although he had been successfully operated upon on 21 May 1918, he died of his wounds on 24 May 1918.[4]

Bonella is buried in section LXVIII (68), row D, grave 11 of Étaples Military Cemetery, northwest France.[16]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Name: Bonilla. Father Pietro died at Kew Mental Hospital on 17 August 1888, his death (due to "brain disease") was registered under the name of "Peter Bonilla".
  2. ^ Name: Bonella. At the time of her death, she was known as "Bonella".
  3. ^ His father and mother were variously recorded as "Bonelli" and "Bonella", and James' birth (in 1885), his marriage (in 1912), and his son's birth (in 1913) were officially recorded with the family name "Bonelli".
  4. ^ Son Arie went onto enlist in World War II with Signals, with service number VX138567.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Our Heroes". Maldon News. No. 2484. Victoria, Australia. 21 June 1918. p. 3. Retrieved 30 April 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "Family Notices". The Age. No. 22, 948. Victoria, Australia. 24 October 1928. p. 1. Retrieved 30 April 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "Personal announcements". The Age (Melbourne). 14 June 1963. p. 18. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
  4. ^ a b c "Family Notices". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 23, 028. Victoria, Australia. 24 May 1920. p. 1. Retrieved 30 April 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "PUNCHER James Samuel : Service Number - 482 : Place of Birth - Avenel VIC : Place of Enlistment - Korumburra VIC : Next of Kin - (Father) PUNCHER John". National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
  6. ^ "Roll of Honour – Joseph Samuel Puncher (482)". Australian War Memorial.
  7. ^ "In Memoriam: On Active Service: Puncher". The Argus. 22 November 1919. p. 13 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "James Samuel PUNCHER". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
  9. ^ "Football". The Record. Vol. XI, no. 31. Victoria, Australia. 4 August 1906. p. 4. Retrieved 30 April 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "The Pembroke Club". The Record. Vol. III, no. 2. Victoria, Australia. 3 April 1897. p. 3. Retrieved 30 April 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ "Victorian Junior Association". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 19, 369. Victoria, Australia. 17 August 1908. p. 8. Retrieved 30 April 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ "Fitzroy (11.18) beat Melbourne (1.4)". The Age. No. 16, 688. Victoria, Australia. 7 September 1908. p. 9. Retrieved 30 April 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ "Fitzroy's Upward Move". The Argus. 7 September 1908. p. 5 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ^ "Victorian Junior Association: Notes". The Argus. 10 May 1909. p. 5 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ a b "Bonella James Henry : SERN 98 : POB Castlemaine VIC : POE Dandenong VIC : NOK W Bonella Eliza". National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
  16. ^ "BONELLA, JAMES HENRY". Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Sources

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