Lance Corporal John (Jack) Bonamy Girard

LANCE CORPORAL JOHN (JACK) BONAMY GIRARD

6625 – 1st Tunnelling Company

A large proportion of the miners who volunteered to join the Mining Corps were middle aged and John “Jack” Girard aged forty-two years and eight months was no exception. Standing five foot, four and a half inches tall and weighing 138lbs (63kg) his knowledge of mining was essential for the Corps. He left his wife and family at Ravenswood and enlisted on 27th March, 1916 in Charters Towers. On 3rd April, 1916 he was declared medically fit and assigned the Regimental Number 6625. Jack named his wife, Florence, of Church Street, Ravenswood, as his Next of Kin.

Jack Girard was appointed to the Miners Corps on 19 May 1916 and underwent training at the Miners Reinforcements Training Camp at Seymour, Victoria from 29 June. Between 8 July and 18 September 1916, Jack attended the Engineer Officers Training School.

Acting Sergeant Girard left for active service after many months in camp in charge of his squad in the Corp’s Reinforcements on the transport RMS Omrah on 17th January, 1917. The ship sailed via Adelaide and Fremantle, Durban, Cape Town and Sierra Leone before docking at Plymouth, England on 27 March 1917. The Miners then travelled by train to the training camps at Tidworth, where his section of the Reinforcements remained until their departure for France. On 9th May, 1917 the Reinforcements left Perham Downs, Folkstone for the Front and were assigned to the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion working there until 20th November, 1917 when they were detailed to the 1st Tunnelling Company until the war ended.

He attended the Musketry Training School with results appearing in the Unit Diary of the 1st Tunnelling Company as follows:

Jack enjoyed leave from France from 16 October 1918, re-joining his unit on 2 November. He held several ranks ranging from Acting Corporal, 2nd Corporal and finally Lance Corporal. He left France on 4 February 1919 for his return to Australia, marching in to No.1 Commonwealth Depot at Sutton Veny until his departure from London on 3 April on board the Kyber. Disembarking in Brisbane on 21st May, where he was discharged on 28 June 1919.

Lance Corporal 6625 John Bonamy Girard received the British War Medal (27493) and the Victory Medal (21333) for his brave service for his country.

Apart from a few small claims still operating, the mining in Charters Towers had greatly diminished and early in 1923 Jack was working in the Girofla mine at Mungana, N.Q. He was “spitting” fuse watched by a fellow miner, F. Elliott, who was standing twenty-five feet away in the winze of the mine. Jack had six fuses to light and had already “spitted” four fuses when one charge accidentally went off. The force of the concussion from the blast extinguished Elliott’s lamp but he bravely jumped down to help save his mate. Ignoring the three fuses which were now smoking, he felt in the sinister darkness for Girard to no avail. Elliot quickly backed away 30ft to avoid two succeeding explosions then sent for the shift boss. Together they re-entered the winze to make another search and heard Girard gasping for breath but standing dazed against the mine wall. They immediately removed him from the dangerous cavity and transferred him to the hospital, but his injuries subsequently claimed his life of forty-nine years, leaving his widow and family behind.

Being a returned soldier, the Charters Towers Branch of the Returned Soldiers and Sailors Association (R.S.S.A.I.L.A.) held a Sports Meeting in the Show Grounds to financially assist his family. The employees of the Girofla mine donated £31.10s ($63) and the Sports Benefit raised £50 ($100) for Mrs Florence Girard.

[QX34011 Captain Bertram Washington GIRARD, Intelligence Officer of 31/51st Battalion, 2nd A.I.F.]

[Vicknor Girard served with 9 Aust. Div. Cavalry Company in WW2 as a Private, Regimental number QX11604. Born 10 Nov 1915 at Charters Towers, he named Florence Girard as his Next of Kin. He enlisted at Townsville on 27 March 1941 and was discharged 18 December 1944. Vicknor was Jack Girards’ son.]

Additional family notes:

John Bonamy Girard was born on 13 July 1873 at St. Peters, Guernsey, Channel Isles, the son of John Bonamy Girard and Helena McDuff. He was a seaman by profession and his father was a Master Mariner.

John Bonamy Girard married Florence Furse – 8 July 1902 at Ravenswood, and the couple had six children between 1905 and 1920: John; Hilda; Bertram; Arthur; Vicknor and Doris.

Florence Furse was born at Plympton St. Mary, Devonshire, England, the daughter of James Furse and Annie Murphy. James Furse was a Miner in the Ravenswood district.

After John Bonamy went to war, I believe Florence moved in with her parents, James & Annie Mary Furse in Stubley Street. It is here that Arthur died at the age of five. James Furse was a miner in the Ravenswood district..

John later moved to Townsville. My father Vicknor and his brother Bertram worked for Queensland Rail and moved to Brisbane.

John ‘Jack’ Bonamy Girard died on 11 January 1923 at the Girofla Mine, Mungana. He is buried in the Presbyterian section of the Chillagoe Cemetery, North Queensland, and his name appears on the Chillagoe Cemetery Honour Board under the name ‘Gerard’.

He was at the time of his death a Master Mariner and Miner. He was aged 48 Years and 8 months. He was survived by his wife, Florence, and children John James aged 18; Hilda Gertrude aged 16; Bertram Washington aged 13; Victor aged 7 and Doris aged 2.

Further information:

ANNUAL REPORTS

of the

DEPARTMENT OF MINES QLD

1919-1928

(Compiled by BETTY D’ARCY - 2004)

GIRARD, John Bonamy 1923-01-11 Mungana, Girofla

(Inquiry 1st Feb, 1923 at Chillago Court House

Finding:- faulty fuse.

& ELLIOTT …….

In a shallow winze went out below No 4 level, he and is mate Elliott had charged 6 holes. Elliott went out to the shaft to see if all was clear, & cried out to Girard to put under. Very shortly after hearing Girard’s reply, a shot was heard. Elliott & the plantman rushed into the winze. Elliott made frantic & gallant attempt to rescue his mate before the other holes went off, but owing to the dense smoke he could not see or feel him. The two men only just got clear when the remaining holes went off. It was then found that Girard had been blown out of the winze. He was taken to the surface when it was found that life was extinct.

NORTHERN MINER ARTICLE

Thursday February 15, 1923

A fine story of a miner’s heroism was narrated by the Minister (Mr A.J. Jones), who obtained the details from the mine manager’s report on a recent fatality in the Girofla Mine at Mungana (says the Brisbane Courier.) It appears that while Jack Gerrard, who subsequently died as a result of injuries caused by an explosion, was “spitting” a fuse another miner named F. Elliott was standing about 25ft back from the winze in which Gerrard was working. Gerrard had six fuses to light and had “spitted” four of them when the one charge went off. Elliott, whose light was extinguished by the concussion, immediately jumped down the winze to try to save his mate. He noticed that three of the fuses were smoking.

Disregarding the dangers of another explosion, he felt around in the darkness for Gerrard, but could not find him. He then came out, and was about 30ft from the winze when another of the charges went off. Elliott returned to a point near the winze and waited while two more explosions followed. He then sent for the shift boss, and with him re-entered the winze. After another search he heard his mate gasping for breath and saw him leaning against the wall, about 10ft from the winze. With the shift boss he helped to remove Gerrard out of the danger zone. Gerrard, who was conveyed to hospital, and subsequently succumbed to his injuries, was a returned soldier belonging to Charters Towers.

The above article was reproduced in:

“THE WORLD MAGAZINE” - No 61 November 2005

Charters Towers & Dalrymple Family History Assn Inc.

A SPORTING BENEFIT

by Donna Baldey

Sport draws together people in many ways especially when the event is for a charitable purpose. In March, 1923 a Benefit Sports Meeting was held to raise money for the family of a Charters Towers’ miner and World War I veteran who lost his life in the Girofla mine at Mungana, North Queensland.

John B. Girard known as Jack was “spitting” fuse watched by fellow miner called F. Elliott standing 25 feet away in the winze of the mine. Jack has six fuses to light and already “spitted” four fuses when one charge accidentally went off. Force of the blast’s concussion extinguished Elliott’s lamp but he bravely jumped down to help save his mate, ignoring the three fuses which were now smoking, felt in the sinister darkness for Girard to no avail. Elliott quickly backed away 30ft to avoid two subsequent explosions then sent for the shift boss. Together they re-entered the winze to make another search and heard Girard gasping for breath but standing dazed against the mine wall. They immediately removed the injured miner from the dangerous cavity and transferred him to hospital, but his injuries subsequently claimed his life of 49 years, leaving a widow and family behind.

Being a returned soldier the Charters Towers Branch of the Returned Soldiers and Sailors Association (R.S.S.A.I.L.A.) held a Sports Meeting in the Show Grounds to financially assist his family. The exceptionally hot March weather deterred a large crowd but those who attended enjoyed the sporting entertainment. The Concert Band played during the afternoon and the sports consisting of Boy’s and Open Bicycle pursuits, Handicap Foot Race and a Trotting event kept the Officials busy and the spectators cheering to energise the competitors to excel especially after the collision in one bicycle race.

The Branch Secretary, Mr C. Griffiths received during the afternoon a wire from a representative of the employees at the Girofla Mine announcing that £31.10s ($63) resulted from a collection taken at the mine adding to the estimated total given for the Benefit Day of £50 ($100). The success of the sporting entertainment was credited to Mr A. Carroll (starter); Mr H. Fletcher (judge); Messrs C. Griffiths, R.A. Ball and A. Villiers (track stewards); and Mr A Forbes (handicapper).

The Boys Bicycle Race consisted of two heats of four laps resulting in a Final. The 100 yards Handicap also had two heats and a final. A Handicapped Footrace of 440 yards was run in 46 seconds followed by a Four-lap Bicycle Handicap consisting of two heats and a final was won by 5 yards in a time of four minutes, nineteen and three fifths of a second.

The Trotting race was won easily in the time of three minutes and twenty seconds by Van Girl, followed five yards back by Tuxette, with Harold Maud taking third place. Lizzie, Silvery Sea and Plain George also started.

Source: The Northern Miner, Thur Feb 15, & Friday Mar 2, 1923

Donna Baldey, Researcher

Australian Tunnellers of WWI.

Profile researched and prepared by Donna Baldey

from Military records, local resources and

information provided by Mark Girard,

great grandson of Jack Girard