Photo : Whitley Bay Chronicle & Visitors' Gazette

'LETTER OF A WHITLEY LAD

The following are extracts from a letter received by his parents from Corporal Harry Bonner 636 18th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (Pioneers), who is a son of Mr and Mrs Bonner, Whitley Bay, which may be interesting to our readers:

"Received your letter and was pleased to hear you are all in good health. I am keeping in fine form, and my spirits are very cheery. Your letters have a lot to do with that. Now, this is more serious, if you do not hear from me for a week or two, please don't be alarmed and don't worry. I am sorry I cannot explain myself, but I thought I had better warn you.This may be the last line or two for a time, but you can rest assured I shall do all I can to get news of myself to you as often as I can.

I expect we shall receive news from England but they may be a day or two longer in dispatch. I shall also try to be an honour to the Battalion and myself.

" The Sergt and I have arranged to write to each other's homes if one or the other get wounded. I am just telling you this to prepare you for the worst. I hope that neither of us have to write in that respect.

He is a fine chap our Sergeant, he and I are the best of pals; we have been working hand in hand since we came into the trenches, and we have made ourselves quite "comfy" and our dugout is just a little palace now.

"We had a near thing yesterday; a shell burst a few yards away, if it had hit the top our dugout would have been (?).

" Fred Johnson was looking for me the other day, just my luck to be in another part of the line at the time. I would have liked to have seen him.

"I am getting on fine with our friends, the officers of our acquaintance. Billy McQuillen (Lieut.) stopped me and we had a long chat about our school days. He is a good officer and a sport to his men.

"I have also met since coming up here Major Tom Noble, who also had a few words with me, shook hands and wished me 'good luck.' Then Austin Murray, now Captain, also spoke of old times, he is a trump.

Although officers they still remember past days and friends. Major Noble asked me why I had not gone in for a commission, and I said I wished I had. Never mind, we are all men and all pals, and we, as the rank and file, don't forget to do our duty to our King and Country.

"Please give my love to everyone - continue to keep cheerful and happy 'always merry and bright', that's the style. Keep on writing to me and I shall be as happy as can be under the circumstances. Now, again, don't worry. I shall come through alright, and I trust it won't be long before we are all together again. Look after yourselves and pray for me now and then. I am sure God will guard me from all danger.

" Well, Ta, Ta, and God bless you all
Your loving son, HARRY

It is regrettable that two of the above named officers, Major Noble and Capt. A. Murray have both been killed in action, since the writing of this letter.'

Whitley Seaside Chronicle and Visitor's Gazette 12/04/1916:

THE MILITARY MEDAL FOR CORPORAL HARRY BONNER, OF WHITLEY BAY.

The Military Committee of Newcastle and Gateshead Chamber of Commerce has received information that no less than five men in one Company of the 18th Battalion (Commercial Northumberland Fusiliers have been awarded the Military Medal for bravery and devotion to duty during eight days bombardment when the Company occupied the Craters in the Great "push.")

Their names are Sergeant Coulson, Corporal Bonner, Lance Corporal Havelock, Private Jones, and Private Craig.Corporal Harry Bonner, 18th Battalion N.F., the gallant Whitley recipient is very well known at the seaside, being the son of Mr. and Mrs Wm Thos. Bonner, of North Parade, Whitley Bay.'

Acknowledgments to : Angela Conroy

Harry Bonner is listed on W84.30 and at Newcastle-upon-Tyne in NUT068 page 183