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Pte. Johnathon Raymond Wright
Australian Imperial Force 36th Btn.
from:Bonshaw, New South Wales, Australia
Jonathon Wright, served with 36th Battalion, 2nd Reinforcements, 9th Brigade, 3rd Division, AIF. He was was born in Gazeley, Suffolk, UK in 1867. He was from Lagoon Flat, Bonshaw NSW, and was a tobacco farmer and a boxer. He was the father of eight children. His wife was Mrs Elizabeth Margaret Mary Wright (nee Daley: Toppers MT). Johnathon joined the AIF on 29th February 1916 at Inverrel, NSW, taking part in the Kurrajong march: second contingent.
Jonathon's unit embarked at Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A72 Beltana on 13th May 1916. His job in the army on the Western Front was as a batman. He transferred to the 33rd Battalion in April 1918, and returned to Australia in November 1918. Johnathon died in Goondiwindi in 1957 aged 90, and is buried in Texas Old Cemetery.
Johnathon also served in the British Army as a boy soldier during the Sudan War during the 1880s. He went to Gibraltar and served in Cairo in Egypt and is believed to have served in the Boer War with the British Army (1900/1901).
In one of the 36th Battalion's earliest engagements Col Simpkins was killed in action by a bomb shell that hit the command post in January 1917. It is not known how close by Jonathon was, considering he was a batman to the officers. Johnathon was discharged from duty because of deep vein thrombosis on 24th August 1918, aged 52,
The following is a story from the Inverell Times. `A warrior's return from the Western front, November 20th 1918. Bonshaw, NSW rejoices again.
The little town of Bonshaw was the place of great enthusiasm on Friday when relatives and friends of Private Jonathan Wright met together to welcome the hero home, after two and a half years on active service. Town hall had been tastefully arranged for this great occasion, the union Jack was unfurled over live Honor Roll, setting it off. Was the guest of honor, his wife and family, when they were seated, the chairman, Mr.V. Gobbert, asked all to rise and sing 'Home Sweet Home'. The chairman impressed, in a feeling speech, how pleased he was to see the soldier back home again and looking so well, and with his wife Elizabeth and his family all around him and much more so on account of the glorious victory that the Allied Armies had won over the Hun. Private Wright was one who had helped to bring that great victory to fruition. Mr Norman Chisholm spoke in feeling words for the boys who had fallen. He also referred to the great pleasure it gave him to see the hero home. He gave his best wishes for the soldier's health and good luck in the future. It was a credit to the man for going away to fight for his country when he was leaving his wife and family of six children behind, while there were other young men with no families who would live on the land and go and return. Cheers.
Mr Marsden of Lagoon Flat Public School, said he had not known Private Wright but had known Mrs Wright and their children, and all he could say was that as far as he could make out all his children were 'a chip off the old block'.'
