Local characters of the past

Thomas Spooner
The churchyard of St. Matthews contains the grave of an 18th Century record breaker, Thomas Spooner who was once the heaviest man in England, weighing 40 stone 9lbs (approximately 260 kg).


Lt. Charles (Gus) Bonner VC
Charles George Bonner was born on 29th December 1884 at Church Farm in Shuttington, Warwickshire. As a Royal Naval Reservist he was called up from the merchant service at the outbreak of the first world war.

He was appointed as First Lieutenant of HMS Dunraven, a Q or mystery ship; an armed vessel disguised as a harmless merchantman. On 8th August 1917 in the Bay of Biscay, an enemy submarine UC 71 shelled Dunraven. Dunraven was hit, her depth charges detonated and the stern caught fire. Crew members, including Lt. Bonner and PO Pitcher stayed hidden as the fire raged waiting for the submarine to close so they could engage her. A 4 inch gun and crew was then blown away revealing Dunraven’s identity and UC-71 dived. Dunraven was next hit by a torpedo leaving only two guns manned. UC-71 came back up, shelled Dunraven and again submerged. “The lieutenant was in the thick of the fighting and throughout a whole of the action his pluck and determination had a considerable influence on the crew.” Dunraven eventually sank off Ushant. Lt. Bonner was awarded the Victoria Cross along with PO Ernest Herbert Pitcher.

After the war Captain Bonner became a salvage expert in shipping. He died on 7th February 1951 at Edinburgh and is buried in Aldridge, Staffordshire.

An excellent biography by Sue Satterthwaite is available from his web site - click here or can be purchased from Aldridge; Lazy Hill Post Office, Churn Hill News, Aldridge Library and Croft News or from Walsall; Waterstones, Walsall Local History Centre and The Walsall Museum. All profits made from the sale of this book will be donated to the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.