Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Henry William Naylor BRYER (Harry) was born on 8th May, 1893 in Geelong, Victoria

His parents were William Edwin BRYER and Alice Catherine SAYERS

He enlisted for WW1 on 7th July 1915 in Melbourne - Unit was 2nd Field Company Engineers, Reinforcement 10 - They embarked from Sydney on board HMAT Ballarat in September 1915

Henry returned to Australia in 1919 on the ship Berrima and was discharged on 1st Jan. 1920

In 1938 he married Edna Mary WEIBYE in St Martins Church of England, Hawksburn, Victoria (divorced in 1940)

He re-enlisted for WW2 at Mordialloc, Victoria on 19th April, 1942 and was living at Edith Vale at the time - he was a Sergeant in the 53rd Anti Aircraft Regiment (Comp) Workshop (Australian Corp of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers)

Henry died of illness at Military Camp in Victoria and is buried in Springvale War Cemetery- aged 50 years

He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal for WW1 & the  1939-45 Australian Service Medal for WW2

He is commemorated on the Australian War Memorial and also the Roll of Honour in Chelsea in Victoria

COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES (www.cwgc.org)

WAR DOSSIER - WW1 - National Archives - Australia (recordsearch.naa.gov.au)

HEADSTONE PHOTO (www.findagrave.com)

The Argus Melbourne - 28th May 1943

BRYER.- On July 26th (suddenly) at Military Camp, S-Sgt Henry William (Harry) Bryer, loving son of the late William and Alice, affectionate brother of Tod, Irene and May, (Edinvale)

How We Served
 
The final resting place for; - 2091 & V358497 Sergeant Henry William Naylor Bryer of Fitzroy & Edithvale, Victoria who prior to enlisting for War Service on the 7th of July 1915 had been employed as a Biograth operator.

Henry was allocated to reinforcements for the 2nd Field Company Engineers 1st AIF and was embarked for Egypt and further training on the 6th of September. Following his arrival, he was soon sent to the trenches of Gallipoli where he arrived on the 14th of November, in the closing months of the campaign.
With the evacuation of Gallipoli, Henry was returned to Egypt on the 27th of December. Henry’s Unit was embarked for France and disembarked in April 1916, and shortly after his arrival he was evacuated to hospital due to a minor operation for an ingrown nail and was sent back to duty with his Unit on the 15th of June.

From this time on, Henry’s service in the trenches would be continuous until he was again evacuated for medical care due to an ankle injury he sustained on the 31st of March 1917.

Following his recovery, Henry was sent back to his Unit on the 18th of April, and following this he was detached from his Unit for duty with the 1st Division Headquarters. Aside a brief respite of leave, Henry’s service in the trenches would be continuous, and he was still on duty when the Armistice was announced on the 11th of November 1918.

In January 1919, Henry received leave to go to England, and after a short time on detachment to AIF Headquarters London, he would begin his repatriation back to Australia, departing for home on the 6th of September. Having returned to Australia, Henry received his official discharge from the 1st AIF for his re-entry into civilian life on the 1st of January 1920.

With the outbreak of a Second World War, Henry again sort service with the Australian Military Forces when he re-enlisted on the 19th of April 1942, having already served with the Volunteer Defense Corps.
Accepted for fulltime service within Australia Henry was allocated to the Australian Electrical & Mechanical Engineers. Henry was serving with the 55rd Anti-Aircraft Workshops, when his sudden and premature death occurred due to illness on the 26th of July 1943, at the age of 50.

Following his passing, whilst again serving Australia in time of War, ‘Gallipoli’ veteran’ Sergeant Henry Bryer was formally interred within Springvale War Cemetery, Victoria.