Biography of Private John Albert Victor Bosley, (1222)
D Company 39th Battalion, 3rd Australian Division, Australian Imperial Force
Died 4th October 1917

Soldier

  • Name: John Albert Victor Bosley
  • Date of birth: 1896
  • Place of Birth: Bourne, Lincolnshire, England
  • Date of Birth Registration: January – March 1896
  • Place of Birth Registration: Bourne, Lincolnshire, England
Father

  • Name: Henry Bosley
  • DOB: 1868
  • Place of Birth: Canada
  • Occupation: Railway Porter
Mother

  • Name: Ellen Louisa Martin
  • DOB: 1875
  • Place Of Birth: Bangalore, Madras, India
  • Marriage: 1895 Sheppey District

Siblings: (Name), (DOB), (POB)

  • Thomas Henry Bosley, 1893, Sheernes (Half brother)
  • John Albert Victor Bosley, 1896, Bourne
  • Victoria Winifred Naomi Bosley, 1897, Spalding
  • Wilfred Herbert Henry Bosley, 1899, Spalding
  • James Edward Martin Bosley, 1906, Bourne
Census

  • 1901: John is living with his parents in Spalding, Lincolnshire
  • 1911: John is living with his mother in Hereford Street, Bourne, Lincolnshire. The census gives him an age of 15 and he is listed as a butcher errand boy.
Relatives in services

  • None found
Marriage

  • No marriage for John has been found and because of his age we can assume that he never had the opportunity to marry.

Newspaper Mentions

  • Grantham Journal Saturday 27th October 1917
    WAR NOTES – Official notification has been received during the week of the death of three Bourne “boys”. Pte John Albert Victor Bosley, of the Australian Imperial Forces, was killed on October 4th. He was in Australia at the time of outbreak of war and joined the forces in the Colonies in March 1916 after having been twice rejected. He was in training in Australia for six weeks, afterwards being transferred to Salisbury Plain, where, after four months further training, he was drafted abroad. Another notification was in respect of Pte. Arthur Thornton, who was formerly in the employ of Messrs. T.W. Mays and Sons. Ltd. and was of such fine physique as to be acceptable for the Life Guards. The third notification was that of Sergt. Major Stephen Kettle, who was quite recently home on leave. Deceased was well known at Bourne and was in the Amy prior to the outbreak of war. Official notification has also been received that Pte. William Michelson, of Bourne, is missing. The news was received on Friday, the information being forwarded to his wife.

 

  • War Office Weekly Casualty List 20th November 1917
    KILLED
    AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY
    Bosley 1222 J. A. V.

 

Military Records

Attestation Papers

  • Available
Soldier’s Died In The Great War

  • None found

Pension Records

  • None found

Effects Left Too

  • None found

Medals

  • The British Medal
  • The Victory Medal
  • The 14/15 Star

Memorials

  • UK:
  • Bourne, Roll of Honour in Bourne Abbey Church
    Bourne War Memorial in the Memorial Gardens

 

  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
  • In memory of Private John Albert Victor Bosley, 1222, 39th Bn, Australian Infantry, A.I.F, who died on 4 October 1917 Age 21
  • Son of Ellen Louisa Pick (formerly Bosley) of Bank Cottage, Eastgate, Bourne, Lincs and late Henry Bosley.
  • Remembered with honour, Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
  • Panel 22 to 25

© Ben Casey

© Ben Casey

© Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

© Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

Military Service Timeline

  • Enlisted Victoria, Australia, 23rd March 1916
    27th May 1916 embarked in Melbourne on “Ascanius” to England
    23rd November 1916 embarked to France from Southampton

 

  • This is ongoing research and will be posted when completed

Sources

  • WW1 Soldier’s Records (www.ancestry.co.uk)
  • British Newspaper Archive.
  • Fold 3
  • Find My Past
  • Genealogist
  • Forces War Records
  • British Army Service Numbers
  • War Gratuity Calculator
  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission
  • National Archives – Battalion War Diaries
  • General Registry Office