Bee, Jaspar Oswald

6257 Staff Sergeant Jaspar Oswald Bee - 16th AASC and Australian War Records Section

Jaspar Oswald Bee was born in Adelaide South Australia in 1889 to Joseph and Sarah Bee. He had a few other siblings, Ruby (1882), Myra (1884), Wilfred (1885), James (1887) and Joseph (1890).

Jasper had his early years in South Australia but then the family moved across to Western Australia and took up residence at 25 Arundel Street Fremantle.

Jasper was working as a clerk when he enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force on the 11th November 1914. He was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 11 inches tall;

Weight - 162 lbs;

Chest Measurement - 36 inches;

Complexion - Ruddy;

Eyes - Brown;

Hair - Light Brown.

After his successful enlistment Jasper was sent to Blackboy Hill Training Camp where he was assigned to the Depot Training Company. He was then assigned to No.16 Company Australian Army Service Corps. His two brothers who had also enlisted, James and Joseph, were also assigned to the same Company.

The 16th AASC became part of the 6th Brigade Supply Train and Jasper and his group headed for Victoria to complete their training. On the 22nd May 1915 they embarked from Port Melbourne aboard the transport ship HMAT Afric and set sail for Egypt.

After a few months in Egypt, Jasper arrived in Gallipoli with the 6th Brigade in late August 1915. On the 11th November 1915 he was evacuated with Jaundice and sent on a hospital ship to Egypt.

He had the next few months in Egypt in and out of hospital and in July 1916 was attached to the Australian War Records Section in Egypt and travelled to France on the 22nd September 1916, reaching Marseilles eight days later. After his arrival Jasper was then assigned to the Australian War Records Section in France. He remained attached to the war records section for the remainder of the conflict and returned home to Australia on the 15th November 1919.

Jasper only lived in Fremantle for a short time after returning from the war and then moved to Victoria.

In 1920 Jasper married Emma Lindner in St Kilda Victoria and they would have three children, Kenneth in 1922, Robert in 1924 and Jasper in 1927.

The family then moved to New South Wales and set up residence in Neutral Bay Sydney.

During World War Two, his son Kenneth was killed in action in Libya in December 1942 while flying with 3 Squadron RAAF.

Jasper died in Sydney NSW on the 26th July 1948.