John Halsey Bonsall, Jr. was born on June 11, 1919, in Morristown, New Jersey. He was the son of John Halsey Bonsall and Katharine Neilson Bonsall.
After attending a number of preparatory schools, John Halsey, Jr. entered Princeton University, where he was in the ROTC program. He was commissioned as an Army Second Lieutenant upon graduation in 1941, although he planned to follow his father's example and practice law. He was called to active duty in August 1941, arriving in England in December 1943, and was promoted to Major in April 1944.
At the time of his death, Major Bonsall was serving in the Headquarters Detachment, Jedburgh Team “Augustus”, Office of Strategic Service. Captain Jean Delwiche (French) and Technical Sergeant Roger E. Cote (USA) were the other members of the team.
SFHQ dispatched team Augustus as the thirty-fourth Jedburgh team to the Continent on August 15, 1944, to the Aisne region, where it was to assist the local Maquis and serve as an additional communication link to London. On that night, the team flew from England with twenty-four containers weighing three tons and with no other passengers. Landing near the hamlet of Colonfay, about fifteen kilometers south of Guise, they moved to Le Nouvion-en-Thierache, the local resistance headquarters. On the afternoon of August 16, they reached a farm near the village of Clary, which the resistance suggested would be much safer. The team radioed SFHQ on August 17 that the reception had gone perfectly. Two days later, they reported that they had successfully contacted the local resistance leader. At that meeting, they apparently decided to follow the suggestion of the resistance to conduct operations to the south near Soissons. On August 20, the team radioed that the resistance movement in the Aisne Department was quite advanced, with 1,100 men armed and trained and 4,900 unarmed men.
On August 21, the team moved south about 100 kilometers to the village of Rugny. Through August 24, the team sent London several reports on specific targets for the Allied air forces, mostly large German troop columns headed east for the German border or trains stuck between railroad demolitions. On the 25th, however, Augustus reported that there were so many German troops in the area that it would be unwise to form any Maquis and that hiding places were becoming harder to find. The following day, the team reported that the Germans were constructing field fortifications behind the Aisne River, although without minefields.
On August 28, they learned that American tanks were in the vicinity and moved north to Soissons. There, they briefed staff officers of the U.S. 3rd Armored Division on German defenses in the area. The American officers displayed a particular interest in the German camp at Margival. SFHQ, on August 30, sent Augustus the following message:
"Have received order from Army commander for FFI to take all possible steps to preserve following Somme bridges from enemy demolition. All bridges Amiens area, also at Moreuil, Boves, Fiquigny, Conde, Longpre. You should attempt to preserve these bridges for about four days after receipt this message. This is important task. Count on you for fullest cooperation. If you need arms can drop from low flying typhoons."
Team Augustus presumably received this message. That same day, the team passed through the American lines north of Laon (south of Froidmont), an area well known to Captain Delwiche. A subsequent OSS investigation revealed that all three members were shot and killed on the night of August 30 at the village of Barenton-sur-Serre. Apparently, German troops stopped a horse-drawn cart and found the three occupants in civilian clothes, carrying false French identity cards, and equipped with weapons, a radio, and other equipment. Since the German troops were the remnants of an armored unit interested mainly in escaping to the German border, they undertook no further searches but merely shot the team and soon departed in the rain. The horse, still towing its cart, returned on its own to its stable in Mr. Magnien's barn, which was occupied by armed FFI volunteers. The return of the horse and empty cart created considerable consternation. Mr. Magnien and his colleagues found the bodies of Jedburgh team Augustus the following morning, buried the three men at the Bareriton-sur-Serre cemetery, and subsequently erected a memorial in their honor.
Major Bonsall is now buried in the Epinal American Cemetery, Dinozé, France. He has a cenotaph located in the First Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Rockaway, Morris County, New Jersey.
Source of information: www.findagrave.com