Dyson, Sydney

11181 Private Sydney Dyson - Australian Army Medical Corps

Sydney Dyson was born in South Yarra Victoria in 1881 to James and Jane Dyson. He was one of 15 siblings born into the family. Shortly after his birth the family moved to Western Australia and Sydney completed his education in Perth. The family also spent time in the Goldfields.

Sydney Dyson served in the Boer War with the Australian Medical Corps section of the 8th Battalion Australian Commonwealth Horse and after returning home from that conflict he steeled in Fremantle.

In 1904 in Perth Sydney married Agnes Vera Owens and they would have seven children, Thelma in 1905, Sydney in 1906, Eric and Frederick in 1907, Leslie in 1910, Dudley in 1914, Clifford in 1919 and Donald in 1923. The family were living in Zenobia Street East Fremantle/Palmyra at this time.

On the 27th September 1915 Sydney enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 7 & 1/4 inches tall;

Weight - 149lbs;

Chest Measurement - 39-42 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Grey;

Hair - Light Brown;

Distinctive Marks - Tattoo of ACH and Australian coat of arms on right arm.

Upon his successful enlistment Sydney was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp and with his previous experience with the Army Medical Corps he was put to work in the Australian Medical Corps Hospital.

He worked in the AMC Hospital for the next few months after enlistment. On the 17th April 1916 Sydney was supposed to be part of an Australian Medical Corps reinforcement group that boarded the transport ship HMAT Aeneas in Fremantle Harbour however he was retained in the AMC Hospital for another month and on the 16th May 1916 boarded the ship HMT Surada in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for England.

While in Camp in WA Sydney had been given the rank of Acting Sergeant.

Upon arrival in England Sydney was assigned to the AAMC Details camp but on the 29th August 1916 he was taken on strength of the 1st Australian General Hospital in France.

The 1st Australian General Hospital was based at Rouen in France and would deal with Australian, British and other Commonwealth countries casualties through the war.

Sydney's records are sparse on details but it appears that he remained with 1st AGH through to the 10th February 1918. It appears that he had injured his back while on duty and he was then sent to England and went into No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth.

On the 12th march 1918 Sydney boarded the hospital ship Kenilworth Castle and set sail for home, however in Egypt he changed ship and then boarded the Field Marshall for the final leg home, reaching Fremantle on the 13th May 1918.

After disembarking Sydney was then sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital for a check on his back injury.

Sydney was discharged from the AIF on the 4th June 1918. From the 5th June 1918 Sydney was granted a military pension of 15/- per fortnight.

After the war the family continued to reside in Zenobia Street Palmyra and Sydney soon found work as a Carrier.

In World War two, Sydney's son Dudley (406351) was killed in action on the 25th February 1942 somewhere over the Irish Sea while serving with the Royal Australian Air Force.

Sydney Dyson died on the 13th July 1970.

Photo below of Sydney in 1912 courtesy of the Dyson family Ancestry page