The AIF Project

Claude Arthur BOONE

Place of birthSydney New South Wales
SchoolSydney Grammar School, New South Wales
ReligionChurch of England
OccupationClerk
Address'Hugundra', Orlando Avenue, Mosman, New South Wales
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation30
Height5' 7.5"
Weight154 lbs
Next of kinFather, J.W. Boone, 'Hugundra', Orlando Avenue, Mosman, New South Wales
Previous military serviceNil
Enlistment date4 August 1915
Place of enlistmentLiverpool, New South Wales
Rank on enlistment2nd Lieutenant
Unit name2nd Battalion, 16th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/19/3
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A71 Nestor on 9 April 1916
Rank from Nominal Roll2nd Lieutenant
Unit from Nominal Roll2nd Battalion
FateKilled in Action 19 July 1916
Place of death or woundingFleurbaix, France (Battle of Fromelles)
Age at death31
Age at death from cemetery records31
Place of burialAnzac Cemetery (Plot I, Row C, Grave No. 2), Sailly-Sur-La-Lys, France
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
65
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Parents: John Westcot and Margaret Connell BOONE, 'Eddystone', Bertha Road, Watersleigh, New South Wales
Family/military connectionsBrother: 27188 Gunner Lionel Jack BOONE, 26th Battery, Australian Field Artillery, returned to Australia, 1 August 1919; died 22 February 1924 from the effects of gas.
Other details

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Embarked Sydney, 9 April 1916; disembarked Suez, ex-HMAT 'Makarini', 1 May 1916.

Taken on strength of 1st Training Bn, Tel el Kebir, 15 May 1916.

Marched out to 14th Training Bn, 27 May 1916; joined 54th Bn, Canal Zone, 30 May 1916.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 19 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 29 June 1916.

Killed in action, 19/20 July 1916.

Buried at Sailly-sur-la-Lys Cemetery by Reverend M. Holliday, 20 July 1916.

Statement, Red Cross File No 451005, 1841 Pte S. TOMKINS, 54th Bn (patient, HM Queen Mary's Royal Naval Hospital, Southend-on-Sea, England), 28 August 1916: 'The beginning of August or after at Armentieres. He was killed by shrapnel, hit in the head or was blown off, it happened in the German trenches.' (Interviewer's comment: 'Informant is very intelligent.')

Second statement, 2554 Sergeant G.F. BURNSIDE, 54th Bn (patient, 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield, England), 29 November 1916: 'At Bac St Maur, near Armentieres on 19th July, he was killed by a shell in our own trenches, same time as Capt. Taylot[.] [H]is body was taken away about 3 p.m. but [I] do not know where he was buried.'

Third statement, 3560 Corporal S.T. LAWLESS, 54th Bn (patient, 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, England), 29 November 1916: 'Informant states that on the evening of July 19th. at 5 p.m. at Fromelles near Armentieres Liuet. Boone was killed by one of our own shells which fell short. He was buried in the Cemetery at Sailly to the very best of Informant's belief.'

Fourth statement, 3533 Pte W. LAND, 54th Bn (patient, 12th General Hospital, Rouen), 5 December 1916: 'He was killed by a shell at Fromelles and was buried outside Sailly. I went to see his grave, and saw a cross erected with his name over the grave.'

Fifth statement, Lt R. HEALY, 54th Bn, 14 December 1916: 'He was blown to bits just behindthe parapet by a 5.9 H.E. shell (there is no shell on our side to compare to this)[.] It was on the Laventie front in Finnay's Avenue about 5 p.m. I was in the front line with them. Nearly ll our officers were knocked out and I saw him actually killed. We were making an attack. Bits of him were found and I believe that what was supposed to have been him was burid at Sailly sur La Lys.'.

Sixth statement, 5036 Pte A.E. BATKIN, A Company, 54th Bn, 29 December 1916: 'He was killed at Fromelles on 18th July. He was going past a bay in the trnech and dropped his field glasses. Someone drew his attention to them; he walked back 10 yards to pick them up and was hit by a shell.'

Seventh statement, 2554 Sergeant G.F. BURNSIDE, 54th Bn, 16 April 1917: 'On the afternoon of the 19th July at Fleurbaix, the 54th Battalion were waiting in our front trenches, preparatory to the attack. A high explosive shell fell into our trench near Boone, and he was killed instantly[.] Informant was near by at the time. Captain Taylor was talking to Boone at the time, and was also killed.'

Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, BOONE Claude Arthur
Red Cross file 451005

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