DYER, Gordon Wilson
| Service Number: | 2842 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 4 June 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 13th Machine Gun Company |
| Born: | Prospect, South Australia, 23 January 1894 |
| Home Town: | Gilberton, Walkerville, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Walkerville Public School and Haywards Academy, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Ironworker |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 26 September 1917, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Gilberton Soldiers Memorial Swimming Reserve, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient) |
World War 1 Service
| 4 Jun 1915: | Enlisted | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Sep 1915: | Involvement Private, 2842, 10th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of England embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note: '' | |
| 21 Sep 1915: | Embarked Private, 2842, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Star of England, Adelaide | |
| 26 Sep 1917: | Involvement Corporal, 2842, 13th Machine Gun Company, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2842 awm_unit: 13th Australian Machine Gun Company awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1917-09-26 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Nicholas Egan
Margaret Phillips
Club Historian Gilberton Amateur Swimming Club Inc.
On embarkation, Dyer spent time on Lemnos Island before returning to Egypt where he entered signal training and then drafted into the 13 th Machine Gun Company. He received his corporal’s stripes shortly after his arrival in France. It was said that he had volunteered to go out and connect the telephone line, which had been broken. He got back to his battery position, when he was caught by a shell during the heavy barrage. Observer 29/12/1917 p37
Reports on his death – He was in his dug-out at Headquarters on Anzac Ridge at the time and was at the telephone when a shell dropped on the dug-out blowing him and the dug-out to pieces. His remains were gathered up by mates and were buried. – Pte H.R. Part from No. 16 General Hospital Corporal Dyer was killed on Anzac Ridge, Ypres Sector with the barrage guns support line, by shell fire concussion. He was a signaller and back with the telephones. He was buried near where he fell with Pte Heaseman. I buried him and sent his personal effects, letters and a few little things to the Battery commander. A cross has been erected on his grave with particulars. – 2 nd Lt. J.C. Wearne
Private G.W. Dyer – I would like to state that he was killed in action 26.9.17 by H.E. shell. He was killed instantly by concussion as there was no sign of any marks on his person. He was buried on the field of action at Hannekek Wood 26.9.17. His grave was marked by a cross (temporary) erected by comrades in 13.A.M. Gun Coy. – David Cole 9.2.18
I saw Cpl Dyer (Sigr) and Pte Heaseman killed by same shell and helped to bury them where they fell at the old German front line then our position just in front of Zonnebeke. They were buried in the same grave which was marked by a rifle. Dyer came from South Australia and Heaseman from West. Aust. – W.S. Harrison
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