Harold Bonarius, as he was known professionally (using his mother's maiden name), was a violinist from a well-known musical family: Harold's father Samuel was a violinist, and all six of his (surviving) siblings entered the profession. He was a pupil of the famous Joseph Joachim, and was noted to be a violinist of 'exceptionally high attainment'. Harold performed with the LSO in 1912 on their groundbreaking tour of the US - the first European orchestra to do so. Harold played with many of the great musicians of the day in the Grimson Quartet, including Frank Bridge and Ernest Tomlinson. Harold enlisted in the Army very early in the conflict, in August 1914, and served in France from February 1915. He was obviously a skilled horseman, serving with the 2nd Regiment of the Reserve Cavalry before being posted to the 6th Dragoons in November 1914. He was killed in the charge of Guislain Ridge, part of the Battle of Cambrai, on 1 December 1917 along with many other members of the regiment. He was assumed missing until his ID discs were sent home by an officer of the graves commission in April 1918. Harold was entitled to the 1914-18 Star, British War and Victory medals, which were collected by his father. Sadly Harold's brother Samuel, also a violinist with the LSO, had been badly injured in the war and his career as a violinist was ended. Their sister Jessie, another violinist, lost her husband Edward (Mason), a cellist, in the war in May 1915; having never really recovered from her losses she gave up her performing career in 1927.

Jo Johnson