Robert John Bond – Royal Artillery, 63 Battery, 34 Light Anti‑Aircraft Regiment

Serjeant Robert John Bond – Royal Artillery, 63 Battery, 34 Light Anti‑Aircraft Regiment

Early Life

Born in 1908 at Grovers End, Glamorgan, Robert John Bond was the son of James William Bond and Celia Congdon, who married in 1900 at Pontypridd. His early childhood unfolded within the mining communities of Pontardulais, where extended families often lived and worked together.

Family Life (1911 Census)

1911 Census

The 1911 Census records the Bond family at 6 Waun Gron, Pontardulais. James W., aged 31, Northampton‑born, was employed as a Coal Miner (Hewer), while his wife Celia, aged 27, Neath‑born, managed the household. Their children present were Celia Jane (9), Bessie (7), James C. (5), Thomas W. (3), and Robert J. (2). Also living in the home were Stephen Evans (67), an uncle and Labourer in Stare Quarry, and two boarders, George Embury (41) and his wife Bettie (40), reflecting a busy, multi‑generational household typical of mining districts.

Family Life (1921 Census)

1921 Census

By the 1921 Census, the Bond family were living at Gwr Bungalow, Part View, Pontardulais, where James W. Bond, aged 42, worked as a Coal Miner (Hewer) for the Graig Gold Merthyr Company, Pontardulais Colliery, and his wife Celia, aged 37, undertook home duties. Their eldest daughters, Celia Jane (19), employed as a Pucker Assistant at Clayton Tinplate Works, and Bessie (17), a Tinplate Cothdoler at the same works, were both contributing to the household income. Their son James C. (15) was already underground as a Coal Miner Hewer Helper with Thomas William & Sons, while the younger boys, Thomas W. (13) and Robert J. (12), were still attending school, completing a household shaped by mining, tinplate work, and the steady transition of children into industrial employment.

Military Service

Robert John Bond served as a Serjeant with the Royal Artillery, attached to 63 Battery, 34 Light Anti‑Aircraft Regiment. His role placed him within the vital anti‑aircraft defences established during the early years of the Second World War, protecting military sites, industrial centres, and vulnerable coastal regions from enemy air attack.

Robert John Bond
Kingsbridge Cemetery credit - findagrave

Death and Burial

Robert died on 17 January 1941, becoming one of the early Second World War burials at Kingsbridge Cemetery. His funeral was reported in the South Wales Daily Post, marking the community’s recognition of his service and sacrifice.

Family Note

Robert’s brother, James Charles Bond, served with the Special Operations Executive (SOE). A long‑standing local tradition suggests that his character and wartime exploits may have inspired Ian Fleming in the creation of James Bond 007, though this remains anecdotal rather than formally documented.