Bonar, Samuel

Private

No. B/82613, 62 General Transport Company, Royal Canadian Army Service Corps

Died of disease on Monday 16 March 1942 (aged 39)

Buried:

Ballymena New Cemetery (Section A Square 14 Grave 46)

Commemorated:

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

BIOGRAPHY

Private Samuel Bonar (No. B/82613) died of malignant hypertension at 25 General Hospital, Bangor on 16 March 1942.

Samuel Bonar was born on 17 April 1902 in Henry Street, Ballymena and he was a son of James Boyd Bonar (a boot maker), and Jeanie (sometimes Jenny) Bonar (nee McConnell) who were married on 5 April 1899 in Second Presbyterian Church, Broughshane, Co Antrim.  They had at least eight children:

Alexander (Alex, born 25 January 1900 in Henry Street, Ballymena)

Samuel (born 17 April 1902 in Henry Street, Ballymena)

Mary (May, born 13 January 1904 in Henry Street, Ballymena)

James (born 21 April 1906 in Henry Street, Ballymena)

Thomas (Tom, born 6 April 1908 in Henry Street, Ballymena)

Margaret (born 15 April 1910 in Salisbury Square, Ballymena)

Sarah (Sally, born 10 June 1912 in Henry Street, Ballymena)

Jeanie (Jean, born 25 July 1916 in Henry Street, Ballymena)

The Bonar family lived at 26 Henry Street, Ballymena, and at 6 Salisbury Square, Harryville, Ballymena.

Samuel Bonar moved to Canada in 1922 where he worked as a Machinist in the Etobicoke Water Works.  On 8 August 1930 he married Kathleen McCallion in Toronto, Ontario.  Their home address was 15 Carnarvon Avenue, Etobicoke, Ontario, and they had three children:

Alexander (Alex, born 6 October 1930)

James Gordon (born 6 August 1932; died 20 May 1938)

Barbara (born 18 February 1934)

Samuel Bonar enlisted in September 1939 and went overseas in January 1940.  He suffered from nephritis, was transferred to Northern Ireland, and died on 16 March 1942 in Bangor.  He was buried in Ballymena New Cemetery (Section A Square 14 Grave 46), and there is a personal inscription on his headstone:

WORTHY OF

LASTING REMEMBRANCE