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Private David Hunter Bond

 

 

David Hunter Bond was born on 25 March 1900 at Drunskinny, Dromore, County Tyrone, the second of six children of farmer Thomas Bond and his wife Sarah Anne (nee Hunter). The 1911 Irish census shows him living at Drumskinny with his parents and four siblings.

Bond enlisted in the 12th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, at Enniskillen on 9 May 1916 (No.29258). He gave his occupation as farm labourer and his age as 18 years 45 days, overstating his true age by two years.

When his family learned that he had joined-up they produced his birth certificate and asked that he be sent home. Bond was discharged on 19 May 1916 as "having made a mis-statement as to age on enlistment". His record, however, was marked as "very good".

Bond later enlisted in the North Irish Horse (the date and his regimental number are not known at present). He did not see overseas service during the war, most likely serving at the North Irish Horse reserve depot at Antrim throughout.

In 1926 Bond emigrated to Fremantle, Western Australia. He married Stella Constance Pinner at the Church of Christ, Maylands, Western Australia, on 27 March 1929. He later lived in the town of Harvey, where he worked as a ganger. He died at Centennial Avenue, Harvey, on 11 June 1960.

 

Image kindly provided by Bond's daughter, Mrs. Melva White, of Mandurah, Western Australia.