34th BATTALION AIF
Acting Corporal: 1797A Edward John BOUNDS. "Bounzie"
Born: 3rd September 1892. Railway Gate House, Dundee, New South Wales, Australia.
Died: 3rd April 1918. Killed in Action Villers-Bretonneux, France.
Father: Thomas Mitchell Bounds. (1851-1922)
Mother: Mary Ann Bounds. nee: Dowd. (1868-1927)
INFORMATION
1797A Private Edward John Bounds was born at Dundee, N.S.W., enlisting for service in April 1916 at the age of 24 years, he embarked for overseas service with 34 Battalion in September of that year. Bounds was wounded in action in early June 1917 from gassing and sent to hospital, re joining his unit in late August 1917.
4th Reinforcements, 34th Battalion AIF. 1916
Private Bounds was killed in action 3 April 1918 at Villers-Bretonneux when he was struck in the head by an exploding shell. He was buried in the field nearby was later exhumed and moved to Crucifix Corner Cemetery at Villers-Bretonneux.
Bounds' personal possessions were lost when the ship they were being sent home on, the Barunga, was sunk. Barunga was on its way to Australia with 800 sick and wounded on board and was torpedoed at 4.30 pm on 15 July 1918 from a German submarine 150 miles south west of the Scilly Isles. Destroyers which had been some miles away were quickly on the scene to pick up survivors and returned them to Plymouth. All hands were saved before Barunga subsequently sank.
Crucifix Corner Cemetery at Villers-Bretonneux.
9th August 1918.
Informant: Private: 3320 Arthur James HALL (D Company No:16 Platoon 34th Battalion AIF) "In sunken road behind Villers Bretonneux, we were waiting until dark before going up to the front line. Shell fell killing Lance Corporal: 1797 Edward John BOUNDS instantly and wounding Lieutenant: 714 Thomas BELLAMY - top of skull taken off by shell splinter. I was right alongside him at the time. He never spoke. Had been Stretcher Bearer but at time was L/Cpl, had just got his stripe and was No:1 Lewis Gunner. Do not know anything of burial, there were a lot of casualties around this locality, English Cavalry and Co. Came from New South Wales, knew him by name of Bounzie, very popular in Company and a Courageous man, killed on 4th April 1918".
1st Auxiliary Hospital, Weymouth.
34th Battalion AIF shoulder patch belonging to Edward John Bounds is in the possession of the Australian War Memorial
Family Information
Edward was a single 24 year old Carter at the Newcastle Railway and lived at 97 Bull Street, Cooks Hill via Newcastle, N.S.W. upon his enlistment with the AIF his parents Thomas and Mary Dowd were married on the 13th September 1891 at the St Marys Church at Tenterfield, N.S.W. Marriage Cert:7640/1891 and had 12 children.
Thomas Bounds died at 65 Bull Street, Cooks Hill via Newcastle and is buried at the Sandgate Cemetery.
Military Records
© Commonwealth of Australia (National Archives of Australia)
Under Construction: 06/04/2022-13/12/2022.