Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Ernest Albert Dyer (1912 – 1973)

Private, Australian Military Forces (Citizen Military Forces)

Service Number S16275

Born: 16 January 1912 – Uraidla, Adelaide Hills, South Australia

Died: 12 January 1973 – Malvern, City of Unley, South Australia (aged 60)

Cremated: Centennial Park Cemetery, Pasadena (SA)

Location: East Wall 34, Niche G005

Memorial ID: 151466911

Early Life and Family

Ernest Albert Dyer was born at Uraidla, in the Adelaide Hills, on 16 January 1912, to Albert Dyer (1880 – 1944) and Nellie Florence Dyer (née Spencer, 1880 – 1968).

He grew up in a rural horticultural district known for its orchards and gardens—an environment that shaped his later work as a gardener’s labourer employed by Green Bros. Nursery in Uraidla.

He had one younger sister, Doris Grace Dyer (1914 – 1916), who died in early childhood.

Marriage and Personal Life

Ernest married Mary Merle Martin (1911 – 1943) in 1941. Their marriage coincided with his early wartime service but was tragically brief—Mary died only two years later in 1943.

He remarried in 1946 to Doris Vera Dohnt (1919 – 2006), with whom he shared the remainder of his life. The couple lived mainly in the Adelaide region, including Malvern and Uraidla.

Military Service

Service Number: S16275 | Rank: Private | Unit: Australian Signals – 4th Military District (Keswick Barracks)

Enlisted: 3 March 1941 at Aldgate, SA | Discharged: 12 January 1944 at Wayville, SA

Religion: Methodist | Occupation at enlistment: Gardener’s Labourer

Ernest voluntarily enlisted for home service in the Citizen Military Forces (Militia) during World War II.

His attestation papers record him as a 29-year-old single man at enlistment, later updating his next of kin to wife Mary Merle Dyer following their 1941 marriage.

He was medically classified Fit for Class II, reflecting limited field deployment but full capacity for domestic and communication duties. Posted initially to Area Signals 4 M.D. Keswick, he served within the Australian Signals Corps, responsible for maintaining communication networks across South Australia.

Service Timeline

15 Mar 1941 – Keswick: Attached to Area Signals; communications and signals training.
Apr–May 1941: Active home defence and training duty; promoted to regular signal operator status.
Jun 1941 – Feb 1942: Camp duties at Woodside, Victor Harbor and Keswick.
1942 – 1943: Transferred to Port & Telegraph Section, Mount Lofty and Mitcham; responsible for local and regional signal relay operations.
Jul – Dec 1943: Periodic leave, no overseas postings recorded.
12 Jan 1944: Discharged (G.D.D. Wayville) — end of war service.

His Service and Casualty Form lists steady performance without disciplinary notes, and his final discharge certificate authorised the issue of a civilian suit and hat—a customary token for honourably discharged servicemen who had completed three months or more of satisfactory duty.

Although not deployed overseas, Dyer’s communications work within the Australian Signals 4 M.D. was critical to domestic defence and wartime coordination. His service contributed directly to the infrastructure that supported the Australian Army’s broader operations during World War II.

Later Life and Death

Following demobilisation, Ernest returned to civilian employment in horticulture and lived in Malvern, where he died on 12 January 1973, just four days short of his 61st birthday.

He was cremated at Centennial Park Cemetery, and his ashes were placed in East Wall 34, Niche G005.

His wife Doris Vera Dyer (1919 – 2006) later joined him in memorial.

Family Connections

Father: Albert Dyer (1880 – 1944)
Mother: Nellie Florence Spencer Dyer (1880 – 1968)
Sister: Doris Grace Dyer (1914 – 1916)
First Wife: Mary Merle Martin Dyer (1911 – 1943)
Second Wife: Doris Vera Dohnt Dyer (1919 – 2006)

Legacy

Ernest Albert Dyer exemplified the many South Australians whose quiet and steadfast service during World War II kept the home front functioning. His diligence within the Australian Signals Corps, along with his lifelong work in the horticultural industry, left a modest but enduring mark on his community.

Sources

National Archives of Australia: Service Record – B884, S16275 (Complete file & attestation papers)
World War II Nominal Roll (Australia) – Record S16275
Centennial Park Cemetery Register – East Wall 34, Niche G005
South Australian Births, Deaths & Marriages Indexes – Birth (1912), Marriages (1941, 1946), Death (1973)
Find a Grave Memorial 151466911 – Ernest Albert Dyer
Trove Newspapers – Service and Death Notices (1941 – 1973)

Disclaimer

This biography has been compiled from verified public records, archival sources, and cemetery data. It is intended for historical and genealogical reference only and does not include personal recollections or unpublished family accounts.

Biography by Trevor Pyatt 28/10/2025