Manuel Elías Bonnemaison

Manuel Elías Bonnemaison Torres (Lima, March 27, 1862 – February 17, 1961) was a Peruvian sailor and ambassador. He was the last survivor of the battle of Angamos.[1]

Manuel Elías Bonnemaison
Ambassador of Peru to Japan and China
In office
August 9, 1929  October 1936
Preceded byManuel Freyre
Succeeded byRicardo Rivera Schreiber
Ambassador of Peru to Bolivia
In office
1923–1925
Preceded byCelso G. Pastor Chávarri
Succeeded byPedro M. Olivera
Ambassador of Peru to Argentina
In office
1914–1915
Preceded byJuan Norberto Eléspuru
Succeeded byAugusto Durand
Personal details
Born(1862-03-27)27 March 1862
Lima
Died17 February 1961(1961-02-17) (aged 98)
Lima
Resting placeEl Ángel Cemetery
NationalityPeruvian
SpousePaulina Tarnassi
OccupationDiplomat
Known forLast survivor of the battle of Angamos
AffiliationsClub Nacional
Club de la Unión
Military service
Allegiance Peru
Branch/service Peruvian Navy
Years of service1879–1881
RankAlférez de fragata
Battles/warsWar of the Pacific

Early life

Manuel Elías Bonnemaison Torres was the son of Gumercinda Torres and Juan Elías Bonnemaison, an engineer. He married Paulina Tarnassi, having children.[2]

Military career

He was a student at the Naval School, where he studied until obtaining the rank of Midshipman in 1879. He participated in the naval campaign of the War of the Pacific.[1]

Embarked in the Huáscar, as an aspiring navy, he attended all the Huáscar raids up to the Naval Combat of Angamos. After Angamos, he remained a prisoner in Chile until January 1880. Returning to active service, he embarked on the capture of the steamer Rímac, assisting in the bombing of Callao and commanding the launches "Amo", "Urcos" and "Independencia". When the defense of Lima began, he was transferred to "El Pino" Hill, as head of the southern battery, attending the Battle of Miraflores.[1]

Diplomatic career

Years after the war, he studied engineering in Switzerland and served in the Peruvian legation in London. From 1904 to 1921 he was consul general in Buenos Aires and in 1929 minister plenipotentiary in China and Japan. From June 2, 1925 to August 9, 1929, he was Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in La Paz. In 1945 he was consul general second class in New Orleans.

In the last years of his life he was honored as the last survivor of Angamos, and due to him being a witness of the battle, he was considered as a primary source, although details were later found to be erroneous.[3] He inaugurated the monument to his superior, Miguel Grau, in the square named after him in the centre of Lima.[4]

See also

References

  1. ORTO 1959 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Lima: Archivo Histórico de la Marina de Guerra del Perú. 1959. p. 210.
  2. MacLean, Percy (1924-04-25). "Nuestra Representación Diplomática en Bolivia". Mundial (206): 146.
  3. López Martínez, Héctor (2021-07-23). "1879: La muerte de Grau". El Comercio.
  4. Laguerre Kleimann, Miguel. "La Palabra y la Piedra. – Discursos durante la inauguración del Monumento del Almirante Miguel Grau, en el Centro de Lima". Revista de Marina.
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