Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Cyrie, as he was known was the seventh of eleven children born to Jim and Marion Saul on their Bellimbopinni farm, north of Kempsey. Cyrie attended Bellimbopinni Public School before leaving to help his mother work the farm after his father's sudden death in 1926.When the Second World War broke out, Cyrie was one of the first to enlist. He enlisted at Kempsey in the 2/2 Battalion on 3 November 1939 and was farewelled on 23 December at Bellimbopinni, being presented with a gift, a fountain pen. His friend Gordon Nixon from Rainbow Reach also joined at the same time and served with him.

Cyrie left on one of the first troop ships, the Oranto, for the Middle East. He went into training in Palestine and soon was in Amiriya, just west of Alexandria. Here Cyrie was part of the 6th Division's role in the Battle of Bardia during late 1940 and 1941. He often wrote home when he could and his last letter was to wish everyone one at home a Merry Christmas. He was killed during heavy machine gun fire in the first attack on the enemy on 3 January 1941. Cyrie and his friend Gordon (who died on the same day) were buried near each other in Halfaya Sollum War Cemetery on the Egyptian side of the border with Libya.