Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Edmond Julian Dwyer was born 5 May 1910 at Leyburn, Qld, the 5th of 7 children of Julian and Matilda Dwyer. He attended Leyburn School where his father was the Teacher for many years. Aged 16 he joined the Traffic Branch of Qld Railways as a Lad Porter and then a Porter until about 1934. By at least 1942 Edmond was living permanently at Wooroolin working as a Labourer (seasonal Worker) in the Peanut Industry. He joined the 32 Garrison Battalion at Kingaroy on 22 Apr 1942. His next of kin was shown as his mother Matilda Dwyer living in Windsor in Brisbane. When she died in Sep 1943 his sister Agnes Dwyer who lived at same address in Windsor was named as NOK.
Before Edmond joined the Australian Army he had spent 12 months in the Citizen Forces (Artillery). Another learning curve for me where I learn that since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the Australian Military Forces. During World War I Australia's contribution to the fighting came from forces raised outside the citizen forces that were in existence at the time, and although many citizen soldiers enlisted in these forces, the Citizen Forces units remained in Australia. With the outbreak of World War II a similar situation evolved, with the establishment of an all-volunteer expeditionary force, however, with the entry of Japan into the war the threat to Australia became more direct and a number of Militia units were called upon to fight in New Guinea and other areas of the South West Pacific.
For the first year of his service in the Australian Army Edmond was attached to the 2 Aust P.O.W. Guard Company probably at Gaythorne. The story of Gaythorne Internment and Prisoner of War Camp is an interesting read on the Queensland Government, Qld WW11 Historic Places. Originally populated by foreign nationals who were accused of no wrong doing, the camps also held prisoners of war (POWs) captured overseas and transferred to Australia to be held for the course of the war. A large number of Japanese POWs were held at Gaythorne in 1942, some of whom were interrogated at the Indooroopilly Combined Services Detailed Interrogation Centre by members of the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section (ATIS). The POW’s included Chinese, Albanian, Portuguese, Japanese Servicemen and Italian nationals. Up to 1800 internees could be held at this camp.
https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/australian-internment-camps-world-war-ii
Edmond was then transferred to “Camp Staff” at Noosa heads then Kelvin Grove before being transferred to the 2/4 Australian Food Baking Platoon (AIF). The Australian Army field bakery supplied fresh bread daily to the thousands of troops in the nearby encampments.
On 03 Dec 1945, Edmond was discharged at Redbank, Qld. He seems to have disappeared off the electoral rolls until 1954 when he was living at Sydney St, New Farm; occupation – Storeman. His sister Agnes was a teacher at the Convent in Ann St, probably All Hallows Convent & School.
Edmond never married and died in 1974. He is buried at Pinnaroo Lawn Cemetery and Crematorium
Lest We Forget