Hawke Battalion at Gallipoli: Circumstances death of A.B. Walter Theodore Graham Bryant: Service No. London Z/868 D Company

[Guest]

Can anyone help with details of the events surrounding the death of my uncle, aged 17, Walter Theodore Graham Bryant (NB the Helles Memorial 4, incorrectly shows his third name spelt with Grahame).

 

He was educated at Strathenden House in Blackheath, London, and at St. Bees, Cumberland. AB Bryant was unmarried and in civil life he was employed as a clerk at the Cape Government Office in London. Formerly served 2 years Officers Training Corps at St. Bees School. He was ex-Public Schools Bn. Bugler, enlisted 16/11/14 . He was in Hawke Bn. 'D' Company 3/5/15-10/6/15 his date of death.

 

Family "tradition" has it that he (and others?) were killed by a Royal Navy "short" whilst in a rest area.

 

The Jerrold book offers no clues to the incident.

 

Any help on him and D company would be appreciated, as would other information on his early service with the Public Schools battalion and in the RND

 

Thanks in advance

 

Graham

[Kath]

Some helpful points in this thread, post 5:

 

[horatio2]

I have found no specific mention of the manner of this death. However, both AB Bryant and AB Cyril Hogben (London Z/752) of Hawke Battalion are noted as having been initially "buried  near Rest Camp" on 10 June 1915. It was much more likely to have been a Turkish shell into the rest camp than an RN "short" Both men were ex-Public Schools Battalion buglers enlisted on 16 Nov 1914.

[michaeldr]

27 minutes ago, horatio2 said:

 It was much more likely to have been a Turkish shell into the rest camp than an RN "short" 

Len Seller's magazine RND, issue number 15, December 2000, has a transcript of the diary of The Hon Kenneth Robert Dundas of Anson Batt. who also seems to have been in Rest Camp on that date. The diary mentions 
The Turks have dug out a new gun which drops shells among us very liberally, and we have therefore dug deeper till now I am six feet below ground 
Though it is unclear if he is referring to shelling actually on that same day - the Anson's lost one man on 10th June

Edited 22 March , 2018 by michaeldr

[horatio2]

2 hours ago, Kath said:

Some helpful points in this thread, post 5:

I may be missing something here but what is the connection between 2/Lt John Graham and Able Seaman Walter Bryant?

[Kath]

oops! 

see post 4- offer by Old Owl to look up Graham's record in Aldous' book -he may be willing to look up Bryant's record.

"'St Bees School Roll of Honour and Record of Service' written by J. W. Aldous "

described in the St.Bee's site as:

"the comprehensive account of the St. Bees School dead in the First World War in the 152-page book "Roll of Honour and Record of Service" compiled by J W Aldous and published by the "Old St. Beghians Club" of St. Bees School in 1921."

[horatio2]

The RND Public Schools Battalion of the RNVR was formed at the instigation of the First Lord, Winston Churchill, to mirror the PSBs formed by the army. It was based at HMS CRYSTAL PALACE where it sat alongside the numbered training battalions of the RND. It fed its recruits through the the RND fighting battalions in the normal manner on completion of basic training but a proportion were to be offered RND commissions. A short narrative of a PSB recruit (later Commander Blackmore) can be read in "The Hawke Battalion" by Douglas Jerrold (pp.33-34). I recommend this book to get an understanding of the Hawke 'D' Coy. experience at Gallipoli, even though AB Bryant only survived for ten days after landing there.

[Guest]

Hi,

I was also researching Walter Theodore Graham Bryant (born 23.8.97) and came to this post.   I have a photograph of him.  please contact me if interested.

[Michelle Young]

Welcome to the forum, I have removed your email address from public view. Members who have made two posts hav access to private messenger.

 

Michelle