George Ezra Bunney

Cropped photograph of Mr George Bunney at the Roleystone Progress Association picnic in 1921.
Personal Information
Date of Birth	Not known
Place of Birth	Leicestershire, England
Death	23 Jan 1942
Place of Death	Kelmscott, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	32 years old
Description	5' 6" (1.68m) tall; weight 143 lbs (64.9 kg); dark complexion, brown eyes, dark brown hair
Occupation	farmer
Religion	Church of England
Address	Kelmscott, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Wife Mrs Annie Bunney
Military Information
Reg Number	3050
Date of Enlistment	17 Apr 1916
Rank	Lance Corporal
Unit/Formation	10th Light Horse Regiment, 23rd Reinforcement transferred to 3rd Machine Gun Squadron / 3rd Light Horse Brigade, ANZAC Mounted Div.
Date of Embarkation	22 Jan 1917 - 16 Feb 1917
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A45 Bulla
Date of Return	17 Jul 1919 - 17 Aug 1919
Ship Returned On	HMHS Dunluce Castle
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	Kelmscott War Memorial (West panel)
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Prior to emigrating to Australia, George was a member of Prince Albert's Own Yeomanry for 4 years. He was also a painter. His nephew Sid Bunney said in an oral history interview in 2000: "Uncle George, from what I can gather, he was a painter and decorator ... When he came out here he tried to have this business going, and I can remember he used to mix all the paints by hand. In those days you couldn’t go and just buy a packet of Dulux or whatever ... Evidently, he’d get the contract or whatever to paint a house or something like that. But at that stage I don’t think he made much of a profit out of it so he probably turned himself around and started to get into the motoring business".

War Service

Enlisted from Katanning, and was initially allocated to the Engineers for training (two months) before transferring, first to the 22nd reinforcement draft for the 10th Light Horse, and then the 23rd draft, with whom he went overseas.

On arrival in Egypt the 23rd reinforcements are sent to an isolation camp in Moascar for two weeks before being taken on strength. On 3 Apr 1917 George was detached to the School of Instruction at Zietim for 2 weeks and on returning to his unit he was transferred to the 3rd Machine Gun Squadron.

On 16 Aug 1917 he was promoted to Driver before enjoying a break at a rest camp in Marakeb. On 15 Jan 1918 George reported to the 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance with haemorrhoids before being transferred to the 74th Casualty Clearing Station, and then via Hospital Train to the 45th Stationary Hospital in El-Arish. Later on 12 Feb 1918 he was transferred to the 14th Australian General Hospital in Port Said before leaving on 12 Mar 1918 and spending time in a rest camp.

Recovered he moved to Moascar and the School of Instruction before joining his unit again on 23 May 1918 where he was deemed to be surplus and moved to the 3rd Light Horse Brigade headquarters.

On 12 Oct 1918 he reported to the Field Ambulance with Malaria and spent several periods in hospital. Appointed Lance Corporal on 18 Jan 1919 and he later enjoyed three months as acting Sergeant in 1919 before leaving for Australia.

Discharged 5th Military District 13 Nov 1919.

Post War

Returning from the war, George returned to Albany Road in Kelmscott, and initially worked as a contractor (electoral roll 1925) and operated his own trucking and transport business. He served on the Armadale-Kelmscott Road Board from 1925-1930, then moved to Victoria Park at the beginning of the 1930s for work as a salesman. By 1936 he was again living in Kelmscott.

Kelmscott delegate to Annual State RSL Congress.

In the Armadale report, mention is made of his passing.

Advertisement showing George Bunney's trucks, from Sunday Times 24 March 1929 (TROVE)

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Memorial