WW1 Arthur Ernest (Everard) Bourne 565

Arthur Ernest (Everard) Bourne (Service number 565) was born in Auckland and was the youngest son of Charles Frederick and Margaret Bourne of ‘Abberley’, 14 Spencer Street, Victoria Avenue, Remuera, Auckland.

Arthur’s older brother Charles had been killed in the South African War and another brother Private Edwin Stephen Johnston Bourne (6/2940) served in Samoa and France.

Arthur was educated at Christ’s College, Christchurch where his father was the headmaster from 1889 to 1903, having previously been the Headmaster at Auckland Grammar School from 1882 to 1893. Arthur went to South America after finishing his education at Christ’s College and was ranching there for some time. He left South America for Australia before the war broke out, and enlisting in the first Australian Force, was in the field throughout the Gallipoli campaign. [1]

Prior to his enlistment, on 24 August 1914, Arthur was living at 96 Surrey Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and working as a motor mechanic. He enlisted at 23 years of age, he was 5ft 10inches tall, with dark hair, and joined the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) Field Artillery, 13th Brigade. [2][3] Arthur embarked from Sydney on 18 October 1914 on the vessel ‘Argyllshire’ as a Military driver, Field Artillery, 1st Brigade, Ammunition Column in the Australian Imperial Force. He arrived in Alexandria, Egypt in December 1914 and left to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in March 1915 until October 1915, when he was evacuated from Cape Hellas, Gallipoli back to Egypt.

He was attached to 1st Brigade Head Quarters as a dispatch rider and then transferred to the 5th Australian Divisional Head Quarters in February 1916. In March 1916 he was promoted to Sergeant and on 26 June 1916 left Egypt on the SS ‘Canada’ for Marseilles in France where the Brigade in which he served was reorganised as the 113th Field Howitzer Battery of the 13th Field Artillery Brigade.

They went into action on the Western Front at Fromelles on 12 July 1916 at Croix Blanc, near Fleubaix. He was Killed in Action, along with other soldiers on 16 July 1916 aged 26, by a premature burst of an AIF Shell at Armentieres, France. The accident had been witnessed by Sergeant M. C. Stapleton with the Information provided by Private P. G. Tyler. The burial service was conducted by the Divisional Chaplain, Reverend Archdeacon Richards.

Arthur Ernest Everard Bourne was the first casualty of the Brigade in France. His grave is at Croix-Blanc, Rue-Petillon Military Cemetery, Fleurbaix, Pas De Calais, France, Plot I, Row K, Grave no. 98.

A memorial service was also held at St Aidan’s Church in Remuera. He was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, British Empire Medal (BEM), and the Victory Medal. Arthur Ernest Everard Bourne is remembered on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour and at St Aidan’s Church in Remuera [3][4]