dave hanks Posted 16 June , 2010 Share Posted 16 June , 2010 Times Of Malta Wednesday June 16th 2010 Tourist Tribute To Maltese WW1 Soldier. A tiny corner of a military cemetery close to the World War One battlefields at the Somme in France will be forever Malta. It is the final resting place of Private Ernest Bonnici, who enlisted in the British Army with his old school chums in 1915, and died in the muddy trenches in one of the bloodiest battles of World War One. A regular visitor to the cemetery, who recently also visited Malta, was moved to take a small stone from Mdina to the cemetery and placed it on the headstone - a sort of coming home, after so many years. Pte Bonnici is buried at Hawthorne Ridge Cemetery No.1 at Beaumont Hamel. The cemetery holds the remains of about 150 men - most of whom, like Pte Bonnici, served in the 16th Btn Middlesex Regt ('The Public School Boys Battalion') and died on 1st July 1916, the opening of the Somme offensive. Pte Bonnici was born in Malta and moved to Cairo before joining the army. He was 33 when he died. Tourist Simon Moston, from Essex, said he had been able to establish that Pte Bonnici was the son of Paolo Bonnici and husband of Josephine. "Each time I visit the cemetery I'm conscious of the fact that it's highly unlikely that his grave has ever been visited by a relative from Malta given the distances involved. My family visited Malta this April for the first time and fell inlove with the place. I picked up a pebble from outside Mdina and took it with me to place on Ernest's grave when I visited it in May - a 'piece of home' for him." Mr Moston said. He told timesofmalta.com, that he would dearly love to make contact with any family members in Malta who recognise Ernest as being one of theirs. End If you read this , Simon, well done mate.....! Boom x 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf mcm Posted 16 June , 2010 Share Posted 16 June , 2010 Well done Simon, what a great story. Regards, Alf McM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted 16 June , 2010 Share Posted 16 June , 2010 Well done, that man! Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Llewellyn Posted 16 June , 2010 Share Posted 16 June , 2010 Fantastic, well done Simon. Llew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATNOMIS Posted 16 June , 2010 Share Posted 16 June , 2010 Simon Fantastic. RIP Ernest Bonnici. Thank You for my tomorrow. Atnomis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loganshort Posted 17 June , 2010 Share Posted 17 June , 2010 It's lovely that this soldier is remembered and it's a really nice touch to place a little maltese stone there which will mingle eventually with the somme earth which envelopes the remains of this man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavoT Posted 17 June , 2010 Share Posted 17 June , 2010 Well done Simon and rest in peace Ernest, you deserve it as they all do. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan D'Hooghe Posted 17 June , 2010 Share Posted 17 June , 2010 http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...howtopic=148422 See also the above topic J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moston Posted 17 June , 2010 Share Posted 17 June , 2010 Thanks one and all for the comments .... I had no idea the newspaper would run with the 'story' quite like this ! - I e-mailed them to ask if they could put a request in their paper for a relative to contact me etc ...they then asked for a photo and the next thing I know is the article on the web! The article has generated a lot of interest on their website but no relatives....yet.... I met the curator of the Malta At War Museum - he's on the case too... Lets hope that this man - killed so far from home - for the Empire - is never forgotten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave hanks Posted 17 June , 2010 Author Share Posted 17 June , 2010 Hi Simon you have probably done more for the Maltese tourist industry this year than anyone else! Great story. Keep us informed on how you get on. Again, well done....! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
27thBN Posted 17 June , 2010 Share Posted 17 June , 2010 Well Done that man a double ration of rum for him .. MC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moston Posted 17 June , 2010 Share Posted 17 June , 2010 Hi Simon you have probably done more for the Maltese tourist industry this year than anyone else! Great story. Keep us informed on how you get on. Again, well done....! Happy to oblige ! - considering we had a fantastic extra week there thanks to a certain volcano Whilst in Malta we visited Leonard Moston's grave at Pieta - it was whilst placing a cross on his grave that the idea of doing something for Bonnici came into mind... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy Macpherson Posted 22 June , 2010 Share Posted 22 June , 2010 Wow...wonderful story! Wendy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_O_L_I_N Posted 23 June , 2010 Share Posted 23 June , 2010 Well done Simon. RIP Ernest Bonnici Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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