World War I Commemorative Website

War Memorial Hall  c1929

Memorial Hall circa 1929
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Francis Spencer BOND

BOND

Francis Bond was born on 12 April 1864 in Fortitude Valley, Queensland. His parents were Augustus Salmond and Jane (née Drewry) Bond. He attended Scotch from 1882 to 1883. He was a member of the Firsts in both cricket and football in 1883.

Francis was a medical practitioner when he enlisted on 17 January 1915 at Broadmeadows, Melbourne. He served in the 6th Field Ambulance with the rank of Captain.

Francis died on 1 April 1916 at the Army General Hospital, South Melbourne, Australia. He was 51 years of age.

Service record

Francis Bond had been in the militia for some years before the outbreak of war. While he was a lieutenant in a University company, John Monash had been his colour sergeant. He went to England to complete his medical training, and on return practised in Victoria. On enlisting in 1915, Francis was made a Captain and allotted to the 6th Field Ambulance, which included at least four other Old Scotchies.

He embarked from Australia on 4 June 1915 and went to Gallipoli on 30 August. On 27 October he fell ill there with fever and abdominal pain. He had been suffering indigestion and constipation for 6 weeks, worsening in the last three. He had pain in the abdomen, radiating to the shoulders and hips. He travelled by hospital ship to Gibraltar. By 29 November he was in a London hospital. There he was diagnosed with stomach cancer.

He returned to Australia in March 1916 – a painful trip in which he had to have morphia injections to ease his pain. He died at 5th Australian General Hospital in Melbourne on 1 April of ‘Heart failure – malignant disease of stomach and liver.’

Francis Bond is buried in the Boroondara General Cemetery, Kew, Melbourne.

Sources:

  1. Australian War Memorial – Roll of Honour
  2. Mishura Scotch Database
  3. National Archives of Australia – B2455, Bond FS
  4. Scotch Collegian 1916
  5. The AIF Project - https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=336783

Page last updated: 11 November 2015