THE HEADSTONE PROJECT’S FIRST COMPLETED WAR GRAVE

Harry Bunton Cameron (Service Number 3332)

Section 16 Pot 119 at Balmoral Cemetery.

Friends of Balmoral Cemetery are excited to announce the completion of the first War Grave resulting from work of the group to acknowledge all First World War soldier buried in unmarked graves in the Cemetery.

99 years after his death Harry Bunton Cameron now has a fine grave in Section 16.

Harry was born in 1881 in Glasgow. He married Elizabeth Shaw Neil on 29 April 1911 in Brisbane. After the marriage, Harry and Elizabeth lived in Harcourt Street, Fortitude Valley where Harry worked as a stonemason. They had four children, sons, Harry Shaw born in 1911, Archibald Neil (1912), Robert Bunton (1913) and a daughter Elizabeth Murray born 1915.

Harry served in the 6th Field Company Engineers. He embarked from Sydney aboard HMAT A40 Ceramic on24 November 1915. Harry joined the British Expeditionary Force at Alexandria 19 March 1916. The 6th Field Company Engineers, in which he served, was engaged in engineering works in the Villers-Bretonneux sector early July 1918. (Unit and Commanders’ War Diaries. AWM).On 6 November 1918, he was detached to the 2nd Division Engineers Headquarters. On 10 January 1919, Harry joined the 2nd Group at Hurdcott. He embarked on the HT Nestor at Liverpool to return to Australia on 20 May 1919.

That year he was living with his family at the A.M.E. Works at Cannon Hill again employed as a stonemason. Two years later, on 21 May 1921, aged 40 years, Harry passed away in Rosemount Hospital in Brisbane. Harry’s unmarked grave is in

The following year Elizabeth married again, to Walter Ernest Cratchley, a soldier who served in the 5th Field Coy Engineers. The couple appear to have lived at Cannon Hill. Walter passed away on 11 July 1969 and Elizabeth on 12 January 1980. Eldest son Harry Shaw Cameron established a Service Station in 1951 on the corner of Wynnum Rd and Muir Street Cannon Hill. Second son Archibald Cameron passed away on 25 March 1973. We have no trace for third son Robert and daughter Elizabeth married Conrad William Tonges on 27 April 1940.

FOBC had contact with 2 of Harry’s grandsons who provided letters of support that assisted this application.

THE HEADSTONE PROJECT

UPDATE - TUESDAY 12 MAY 2020

SOLDIERS IN UNMARKED GRAVES BALMORAL CEMETERY, BRISBANE

Over the last year the Friends of Balmoral Cemetery have been finding out more about how we can acknowledge the First World War veterans buried in unmarked graves at Balmoral Cemetery.

As part of the work of Friends of Balmoral Cemetery during the 100 year Remembrance activities for the First World War we have identified 45 veterans buried in unmarked graves at Balmoral Cemetery. In addition to this there are 22 veterans buried in formed graves where there is no identification ie a plaque or headstone identifying the soldier. There could be more.

PHASE 1 has been to apply for war graves for all these veterans.

To date we have made 22 applications and have had 13 approvals. Three of these applications are still being considered and two are being reviewed. Four applications have been rejected.

Over the next few months, we will lodge applications for the remaining veterans.

PHASE 2: For those veterans who are rejected for a war grave (we have two already), we are developing a project provide a simple marking of these graves.

In Tasmania another “Headstone Project” has been successful in marking similar graves and in securing modest funding for similar activities in other cemeteries in Australia – we are in contact with the people behind this project.

Tackling this project is a big task so we expect that it will take several years. Each veteran’s story is also featured in Friends of Balmoral Cemetery’s (FOBC) publication After the Fire. To obtain a copy of this publication please contact: secretary@balmoralcemetery.com

“Into the Fire” – A Book to honour local First World War Soldiers

Our long awaited book has arrived. Called “Into the Fire” the book remembers the lives of 57 soldiers who were killed in action during the First World War and are memorialised on graves in the Balmoral Cemetery.

“Into the Fire” was launched in a moving ceremony by local MLA Hon Di Farmer on 22 April 2018 just prior to Anzac Day.

The book is the culmination of six years of hard work for the Friends of Balmoral Cemetery and is part of a range of activities undertaken by the Group to remember the 100th anniversary of the First World War. These have included pre-Anzac Day ceremonies, remembrance walks, an Honour Board and memorial markers.

A Queensland ANZAC Centenary Grant from the Queensland Government has assisted with these projects.

For a copy of “Into the Fire” please email secretary@balmoralcemetery.com

Suggested donation for the book is $10 plus $4.50 postage.

The Friends of Balmoral Cemetery have a second book in production. To be called “After the Fire” it is about men who served in the First World War and returned to Australia and were laid to rest in the Balmoral Cemetery. The launch of this book is planned for Armistice Day, 11 November 2018.