Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William’s parents were Dorothy Rose and Lyiel Albert Richter. Lyiel himself was one of at least sixteen children including a young brother, William, who died aged one in 1898. Possibly Lyiel may have chosen to name his own son William after this baby brother. At the time many children were born either at home or in nursing homes where midwives delivered the babies and cared for the mothers. On the 11th August 1912, Dorothy had a young son, at Mrs. Rogerson's Nursing Home. Stratheaden, Burnside-road, Corryton, advising ‘ Both well’.
With many childhood diseases resulting from lack of vaccinations, 1920 became an horrific and tragic year for Dorothy and Lyiel. They had twin daughters, Edna Noreen and Dorothy Joyce, born in January 1919. Sadly, Edna died six days before her first birthday in January. Dorothy survived a further month but died in February. Colin Douglas, born in August ‘20 also survived for just a month. All three babies were buried in the Payneham Cemetery.
Newspaper announcements suggest that William was probably born on the 13th November 1921 at Nurse Goldney's Private Hospital, Kensington Park, with the announcement that an unnamed son was born at that time to the wife of L. A. Richter, Burnside.
The family also welcomed a further daughter on the 16th March, 1924 also at Nurse Goldney's Nursing Home, Kensington Park, to the wife of Lyiel A. Richter, Burnside. Both well.
William’s 54-year-old father, Lyiel died on the 29th June ’38, with his remains being interred with his baby children in the Magill Cemetery.
William had gained employment as a furnaceman, describing his occupation as a traveller when he enlisted to serve in WWII on the 19th June ’40, being given the number SX6362 and placed in the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. He gave two ages (and dates of birth), with both suggesting he was around 20 years of age. This seemed to suggest he was the boy born in November ’21. By the time William enlisted, his mother had remarried, becoming Dorothy Willis. William initially nominated Dorothy as his next of kin, but over the course of the war changed these details several times.
William’s early days were spent in the pavilions at the now called Royal Adelaide Showgrounds before moving to Woodside in the Adelaide Hills for intensive training.
Following pre-embarkation leave, William boarded the Stratheden on the 7th November, arriving in the Middle East on the 17th December. He was to become one of the highly respected Rats of Tobruk. Ironically, the term, used by Lord Haw-Haw, was designed to destroy the morale of the troops, encouraging them to surrender. The term was based on the primitive conditions in which the soldiers lived – hand-hewn dugouts, dusty, uncomfortable and infested with flies and rats. However, the opposite effect was achieved with the soldiers seizing the term as an unofficial badge of honour.
By August, 41 William developed catarrhal Jaundice (now known as Viral hepatitis - an effect of a poorly balanced diet.) He spent some time recovering in hospital before returning to his battalion early in November. William and the remains of the 2/48th Battalion were finally able to leave the Middle East, returning to Australia via Melbourne at the end of February ’43. Soon after, William was transferred to the Australian Corps Reception Camp at Atherton until his discharge as Medically Unfit on the 1st September ’45.
William’s 75-year-old mother, Dorothy died on the 10th August ’66. A headstone in her memory as Dorothy Rose Bryant marks her final resting place with her first husband, Lyiel Albert and baby children in the Magill Cemetery.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.