Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Bertram was the 8th child of Frederick John Canning m: 1874 Anne PHILLIPS - his siblings in order were Jessie Frederica, Rupert Mason, Frederick Samuel, Elvie, William, Ruby (twin of William), Alfred, Harold & Lizzie.

His father was a railway employee & all the children were born in close proximity to the station to which he was posted, the last posting being as Station Master at Springhurst where Bertram was educated and worked the family farm prior to his enlistment.

Two of his sisters Jessie & Ruby went to South Africa, married and raised their families there. Apart from a visit they both died & are buried in South Africa.

His brother Harold also enlisted, but for whatever circumstances he went AWOL - his mother Ann wrote to the Minister of Defence in 1921 enquiring as to his whereabouts - she had not seen him since she saw him off on the train journey from Springhurst to Brisbane in 1915.

Following his discharge in 1919 Bertram joined the Australian Instructional Corps in 1920 and remained with that organization until his enlistment in 1940 for WW11.

Bertram m: 1919 Jessie Ellen CROWE, they had three children - Bertram Lindsay, Rupert Miller and June Phillips. Both Bertram and Rupert served in the army during WW11 - Bertram was a career soldier, Rupert enlisted and daughter June married an enlisted RAAF officer.

Following the death of his first wife, Bertram m: 1934 Alice May (Maisie) HEYWOOD, they had two children - Ernest John (known as John was an artist of some renown) and Rodney Geoff, both these children were too young to be involved in WW11.

Anecdote - My father was in the CMF Light Horse prior to his enlistment in WW11, on one occasion he had a run in with the officer-in-charge over the treatment of the horses - it was at the end of a long day of arduous exercises (for the horses) and they were pretty much exhausted but the officer wanted more - my father objected and was ordered to front the officer in his office - it was only when they met in the office that both realized who each other was - Bertram being the uncle and my father his nephew.