Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Born  14 October 1919 in Donnybrook, Western Australia.

Georges grandmother, Edith Fry [nee Partridge] moved to 'Crendon' from 'Shenfield' in 1904,
and Georges father (John Gurney Fry) carried on the farm and he married in 1917.

Father:  John Gurney Fry (b. 1879 - d. 1936)
Mother: Mary Cecil Fry (nee Clifton) - (b. 1892 - d. 1968), lived at "Crendon", Donnybrook, WA
Mary Cecil Clifton: Was Educated at Perth Ladies College

Siblings:
brother:  Philip Gurney FRY
(b. 23/12/1917 Bunbury – d. 3/4/1977 Crendon, Donnybrook, WA)
 m. 22/2/1947 in WA - Betty Una Farley (b.1926)

himself:   George Leake FRY  (b. 1919 – d. 2004 Donnybrook, WA)

sister:     Elizabeth FRY
(b. 7/1/1921 Donnybrook, WA – d. 6/7/2014 Busselton, WA)
 m. 21/12/1948 in WA - Arnold William Roberts(b. 19/12/1919 in WA - d. 6/7/1975)

sister:     Rachel Gurney Fry
(b. 28/4/1922 Donnybrook, WA -
 m. 30/7/1952 - Andrew Bickley Mitchell (b. 1922 - d. 1983)

brother:  John Michael Patridge Fry
(b. 9/8/1926 Donnybrook, WA -
 m. 2/2/1952 - Audrey Phyllis Quick (b. 11/4/1930

brother:  Timothy Clifton FRY 
(b. 9/8/1932 Donnybrook, WA – d. 21/9/1996 Nhill, VIC)
"Timothy died whilse cycling across Australia after cycling across the USA.
He was hit by a 4 wheel drive, so near and yet so far from home."

FRY FAMILY:-
John and Mary Fry had their first son on 23/12/1917 and named him Philip Gurney Fry (Phillip) A second son George Leake Fry (Geordie) arrived in l9l9. Their first daughter, Elizabeth Fry (EO) was born in l92l, closely followed by another daughter, Rachel Gurney Fry (Rachel0 in l922. Four years later Joh Michael Partridge Fry (Michael) was born, and their last child, a son, was born in l932 and name Timothy Clifton Fry (Tim).

Everyone helped on the farm. The children were encouraged to learn all aspects of farming from milking to growing vegetables. They often had several animals as pets and were encouraged to take responsibility for raising their own calf. Calf Clubs usually attached to schools in the area, organised field days, where parades, judging of the best calves, and other agricultural activities were held. The young Club members acted as junior stewards at the District Agricultural Shows. The Junior Farmers' movement followed on from the Calf Clubs.

The house on "Crendon" was extended to provide extra bedrooms and a large building to the rear was built which was named the Nursery.

John helped Mary with the household chores and was the "breadmaker" of the family. He mixed the dough for baking. All the cooking was done on a large wood stove with two large ovens and a hob on the side. A big cauldron at the back kept a ready supply of hot water.

For his first year of schooling Philip was taught at home by correspondence lessons but the next year l926, his brother George was old enough to go to school and both boys were enroled in Donny brook State School. In l93O an assisted school was opened at 'Crendon'.

Many children lived too far out of town to attend the State School and so country families with school-aged children were given the option of opening their own small school which was used by the children of nearby families. These schools were referred to as "assisted" schools and the cost of hiring the teacher was jointly met by the families and the State Government.

For the first few weeks after the school opened it was held in the "Crendon" nursery but later an old workman's cottage, known as Scott's cottage, was renovated. The cottage's two small rooms were made into a larger one and the old newspaper which was covering the walls was stripped off and replaced with wallpaper. There was an open fireplace for heating the building in winter.

The first teacher to arrive was Miss Annie Henry and she was provided with room and board at 'Crendon", in the house with the Fry family.

Six children attended the 'Crendon School' in the first year. They were Geordie, Elizabeth and Rachel Fry; Jim Robertson (who was the son of the workman employed at 'Crendon'; Lester and Len Trigwell.

Miss Henry, the teacher, resigned in l932 immediately after Mary returned from Perth having given birth to Tim, saying she "could not possibly live in a house with a baby". The next teacher to arrive was Miss Hazel Crabbe who stayed twelve months and left to get married.

Jean Lawrie was the teacher who took over the school in l935 and Miss Doris Hotchin came in l936. That year the school was moved to Englishfield, and are closeby. The Fry family of Crendon continued to provide the teacher's accommodation and Miss Hotchin rode her bicycle to the school each day.

Life was busy for John and Mary Fry but they both found time to involve themselves in the community and they were members of various committees.

Mary was a very good pianist. She could sight read music and during the l93Os and 4Os she would play to the family every Sunday night. She would also play each Christmas morning and the family would sing carols together.

The family got their first radio in l933. It was a Batty Phone and was operated from a six volt battery and set of three forty-five volt dry cells, as the State's Electricity system was not connected to the farm until the late l95Os. One of Mary's favourite programs on the radio was the serial "Blue Hills" which was broadcast at lpm each day.

Late in l935 John became ill. His health deteriorated over the next few months and he died in March l936. That year was a very difficult time for the family as a few months after John died, young Rachel became pregnant and at the end of the year Michael had a serious accident.

In l936 both Rachel and Elizabeth were attending Perth College. When it became obvious Rachel, aged fourteen, was pregnant, Mary travelled up to Perth to be with her and arranged that she spend the rest of her pregnancy in the Salvation Army Hostel until her baby was born. Rachel's daughter was born on September l5th and arrangements were made for her to be adopted.

Postscript. Rachel has since relocated her daughter. She made contact with Joy in l989 and has discovered she is grandmother to another two children, Faye and Alison. Joy and Rachel exchange letters and visit each other regularly.

A few weeks after Rachel had her baby, Michael aged lO years old, had a serious accident. He ran in front of the farm's hay mower and his feet and ankles were badly cut. Philip and Mary drove him to Perth on a mattress in the back of the ute where he was treated by Dr. Ainslie, a surgeon of Mount St. Hospital.  Luckily his feet were saved, but it took many months before he could walk again.

On September, 3 l939, at around 8.45pm the Prime Minister of Australia announced over the radio.......

Fellow Australians, it is my melancholy duty to inform you officially that, in consequence of a persistence by Germany in her invasion of Poland, Great Britain has declared war upon her and that as a result, Australia is also at war.

Over the next few months Philip and Geordie both enlisted for active service, but Philip was manpowered out of active service to run the farm.
Elizabeth was working away as a teacher.
Rachel left school to return to 'Crendon' and help on the farm and Michael and Tim continued their education.

The War officially ended 2 September l945.

Service #462516 - Militia Forces

Described on voluntarily enlisting as 20yrs 3mths old; single; 5' 9.5" tall; 150lbs;

4/1/1940        Voluntarily enlisted in the Mlitia Forces
                     25th Light Horse Regiment
                     appointed to No.1 A Squadron

1/7/1940        promoted to Lance Corporal in 25th Light Horse Regiment

12/9/1940      discharged to RAAF

Service #406298 -WWII RAAF

7/10/1940      enlisted into RAAF, at Donnybrook, WA
                     place of enlisting Perth, WA

June 1943      Flight Sergeant in crew of a Sunderland aircraft of No. 10 Squadron RAAF
                     which later came under attack from enemy aircraft during an anti-submarine
                     patrol in the Bay of Biscay.

*** service records need to be ordered through National Archives of Australia ***

Warrant Officer in Care and Maintenance Unit

21/3/1946      discharged from service

20/9/1952      Married:   Gwen Elizabeth FRY (nee Brown) - "Betty"
                     (b. 14/10/1927 Ormond, VIC - d. 7/7/2015  Busselton, WA)
Children:  
daughter        Linda Mae Fry   (b. 1953 WA - m. 18/4/1973  Martin Neervoort (b. 1953)
son                David Fry   (b. 29/5/1955 Donnybrook, WA - m. 1/12/1984  Diane Neill (b. 18/3/1951)
son                Colin Richard (Mike) FRY  (b. 13/1/1958 Donnybrook - d. 13/5/2016 Donnybrook, WA)
daughter        Pauline Elizabeth Fry  (b. 1960 WA
                     m1. 28/1/1989  Harry Lawrence William Roberson Heaney (b. 6/2/1960)
                     m2. 1/9/1979  Gary John Newman  (b. 5/10/1958)

5/7/2003   George and Betty were Retired Dairy Farmers from Donnybrook,
                where George was born and bred, and moved to Busselton in 1989, and now live in a Retirement Village.

11/7/2004      passed away

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan.  10/6/2016.  Lest we forget.