Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Theodore was the first son and second child, born at Wayville on the 30th May 1916 to Pauline Sophie (Sophia) and Herman Carl Wilhelm Beyer. He was one of four children including older sister, Dorothea Pauline and a younger brother, Charles Henry who would also enlist.
Life was challenging and often a struggle for the family living in Nailsworth. With their father in deteriorating health, their mother Sophie had to work each day, which put strong pressure on the four children. As was usual in those days, students frequently left school to head home for lunch. In a case that went to Court, nine-year-old Dorothy and a playmate fell out in a childish dispute over a doll’s dress. The incident escalated with the intervention of the playmate’s mother, verbally calling Dorothy a ‘wretched little devil’ and culminating with an assault, catching and hitting Dorothy about the head for about two minutes, an attack witnessed by a stranger. Dorothy had to stand on a chair in the witness box to give her statement and explain that she had reported the attack at the police station before then going into the city to see Miss Cocks, a newly appointed policewoman (who would have a pivotal influence on both women in the force and in promoting the welfare of all women). Eventually the neighbour was fined £1, and 15/ costs for the assault.
Just two months later, after the Court case, the children’s 35-year-old father, Herman, died on the 1st December ’23 and was buried in the West Terrace Cemetery. Theodore had just turned seven. In the ensuing years, Theo also known as Bill worked as a Motor Mechanic until the outbreak of WWII.
Aged 24, Bill was one of the early enlistees on the 26th June ’40. He was allocated the number SX7299 in the 2/48th Battalion. His younger brother, Charles (an electric welder) enlisted the following year, aged 21 as SX11923 and also served in the Middle East and later in New Guinea with the 9th Division.
Bill sailed on the Stratheden, Disembarking on the 17th December in the Middle East, and immediately began intensive training at the Amiriya Training Camp. By mid-April, Bill was hospitalised with acute appendicitis, which was later removed . It was a month before he was able to re-join the battalion but in May ’41 contracted Tuberculosis, before again re-joining the 2/48th in August. The desert conditions, of flies, dust and heat were challenging. The men had been living in hot, cramped, primitive hand-hewn underground dugouts. Attempting to destroy morale, German pilots dropped leaflets deriding the troops for living ‘like rats’. Ironically it had the opposite effect, with the soldiers proudly claiming the title of being Rats of Tobruk, a term they carried with honour.
That year for Christmas, National Radio broadcast the voices of soldiers serving overseas in the week leading up to the festive season. Bill was one of the soldiers from the 2/48th whose families had the precious gift of hearing of their son’s, brother’s or husband’s voice. Others from his battalion who were broadcast at the same time included Ned Smith, Malvern; Lce. Cpl. Fred Perry, Broken Hill; Cpl. Ron Ide, Geranium; Pat H. Hoare, Broken Hill; Bill James, Birkenhead; Maurice Quinn, Cleve: Col. Roly Bryant, Glenelg; Sgt. John Buckley. Glandore West; Ron Small, Largs: Cpl. Alry Montgomerie, Yeelanna, West Coast; Bill Beyer, Ade laide: George Crawford, North Adelaide; Charles Tully, Brompton; Ced Radford, Coulta. West Coast; Lce.-Cpl. Roy Crubb, Black Forest; Sgt. Roger Jacka, Glenelg; Robert Haynes, Hyde Park; Lce.-Cpl. Colin Lomman, Norwood: W.-O. James A. Winch, North Adelaide; Sgt. Wilfred T. Lyne, Eden Hills; W.-O. Jack Wilson, Parkside; Harry Dwyer, Murray Bridge; Kenneth Bertram, Woodville and Jim Travis, Port Julia.
Bill’s 2/48th Battalion was finally able to sail home at the start of February ’43, arriving via Melbourne. By April Bill was being admonished for ‘Conduct Unbecoming’ but fortunately escaped without a fine. Training in the tropical conditions of Queensland followed as the men prepared to face humid conditions in the jungles of New Guinea and against a very different enemy. By August ’43 Bill left Carins for Milne Bay. That month, having been a widow for twenty years, Bill’s mother married again to Mr Curls.
Unfortunately, by the end of that year Bill was again in poor health with malaria and an extremely high temperature (Pyrexia of Unknown Origin), both of which continued to re-emerge. He was finally able to return to Brisbane in February ’44 but still had not shaken malaria, which continued to return. In frustration Bill went AWOL during May for varying lengths of time, inevitably forfeiting his pay and attracting fines.
However, five months later in October, Bill received a promotion to Acting Corporal, then Corporal. He served out his remaining months in Morotai and Tarakan, before in July ’45 being appointed Lance Sergeant then finally discharged on the 20th November ’45. In March the following year, his younger brother, Charles was also discharged.
Theo married Lily May Munro with the two having a daughter, Gail born in October ’48 at Mile End.
Theo initially returned to his career as a mechanic with APAC Industries Ltd but aged 34 was sacked in 1950. Unfortunately, in retribution, he and his brother-in-law both decided to ‘acquire’ good, with Bill stealing two rigid racks and a pair of gloves valued together at £5/2/ and attracting a fine. Times were not always easy for returned servicemen.
Theo died aged 63 on the 24th January 1980. He was buried in the Derrick Gardens at Centennial Park Cemetery, Path 39, Plot 743B. Lily died on the 31st December ’89 and now rests with Theo.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.