Gerald Hope Dyson ^{59,71,74,309,511,512,513,514,515,516}

   Cause of his death was Pulmonary Tuberculosis.⁵¹⁷

  General Notes:

Re Gerald:

In looking on the web again - I always do that after my trip to Kelowna - I looked at what's been gathered on Gerald so far and noticed that info on his death registration shows him living at 30 Ashburnam Mansions prior to being hospitalized. That address was familiar to me and sure enough, it is listed as being the residence of Violet Dyson in the British Phone Books from at least April 1927 to February 1932.

He must have been staying with Violet - maybe for some time perhaps? We have him returning to England 16 Mar 1926 along with Dora Christian and Master Charles Dyson. They don't seem to be around when he passed away in 1931.

Bob Dyson also told us that "Gerald's illegimate son" came to Kelowna and looked up Terence Dyson but was basically turned away at the door. We learned this after our visit with Catharine and if this was Charles, who was recorded on the passenger list as being born in 1921, would have been same age as Catharine and maybe she heard about his visit? Might be worth pursuing too.

More to come....
Maureen, August, 2010


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From "The Inland Sentinel" Kamloops, B.C.
February 26, 1901 - page 4
For South Africa
Enrollment of Recruits for Baden-Powell's Constabulary

Captain Burstall, R.C.A. recruiting officer for Baden-Powell's Constabulary was in town yesterday and gathered in 20 men for that force, who left this morning for Ottawa, en route for South Africa. There were between 60 and 70 applicants, but for one reason or another only 20 men were picked, whose names appear below. Capt. F.L. Vaux, A.M.S., the medical officer examined the men in the morning, and in the afternoon they were examined as to their accomplishments on horse back, a quite unnecessary performance for the majority of the men were more at home in the saddle than anywhere else.

The following are the names of the men enlisted here:

Eric W. Branford, Pender Island; P.E. Byrne, of Harper's Camp, and recently of Victoria, B.C.; T.S. Brearley, Vancouver, Herbert Callaway, Ducks; R. Cross, Kamloops; E.B. Drummond, Kamloops' G.H. Dyson, Kamloops; Jas and Walter Goss, Ashcroft; R.A. Gordon, North River, W.; P. Greaves, Douglas Lake; A.W. Hall, Okanagan Mission; C.T. Haddock, Ashcroft; Jas. H. Ingram, Grand Prairie; A.T. Johnston, Kamloops; G.L. Levine, Armstrong; Alfred and Chas. McLean, North River, W.; G.O.K. Woods, Kamloops; W.P. Wood, Shuswap.

In the evening a smoker was given in the K.M. and A.A. Hall in honor of the departing men which lasted until nearly train time. During the evening songs and speeches and selections by the Independent Band were given which met with enthusiastic reception. Captain Burstall in his remarks spoke very highly of the men selected and remarked that they were more at home in the saddle than out of it. A large crowd was at the station to see the last of the boys, and as the train pulled out of the station the band played "Red, White and Blue", and "God Save the King."
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From the Inland Sentinel - Kamloops
Friday, May 2, 1901 - page 5

FROM THE TRANSVAAL
Interesting Letter from Trooper G.H. Dyson of Kamloops.

A long and interesting letter from Trooper G.H. Dyson, of the South African Constabulary, written on March 24th in Krugersdorp, Transvaal, was received in Kamloops today from South Africa. As the letter is too lengthy to publish in full we give a few extracts which are more or less of general interest.

"Our last days at Divarovlu were very pleasant ones and all of us hated to leave it as the duties were fairly light and we had everything ship shape and comfortable. We played a good deal of cricket during the last two months, and among other matches one against Krugersdorp, in which of course they beat us but not so very badly. At Potchefstroom we played a match against the depot troop and headquarters staff, they won by three runs, the best and most exciting match we have had and the most enjoyable.

At Buffetsdoorn we remained about a week doing nothing in particular and soon we moved off to Klerksdorp to join Colonel Grenfell's column, which has been operating in this district for some time. We got here on Monday, the 24th, and left at 2:45 a.m. the next morning in a big convoy for Hartebeestefontein.
We in the first place were supposed to patrol this place, that is the seven troops, but they concluded we were not strong enough and they were about right, as Carey has made this part of the world his pet stamping ground, and as he usually runs around with about 3000 men, the inference is fairly obvious. However we started away and got out four miles or so when a halt was called. Ox wagons move slowly and the ground was heavy as it had been raining all night. During the halt just as the first glimpse of daylight began to show up we heard heavy firing on our left about 4 or 5 miles away, and this kept up for some time. At daybreak we went over on a ridge about three miles away but could not see or make out very much. Later we found out that an empty convoy had been attacked by the Boers under Kemp, and about 100 strong, and they had captured the whole lot, man, wagons and two guns. It was just as well we did not go over as soon as we heard the firing and get mixed up in it as they would have then turned back and probably got our convoy too. It was ours they were after but got mixed up and got hold of the wrong sow by the tail which was just as well for us.

At 8 o'clock the whole convoy turned and went back to Klerksdorp and the mounted men, after skirmishing and for some time, then went back ourselves. The next morning we got up again and this time reached Hartebeestefontein without mishap, and here we met Col. Kekewich with whom we went on to Wolveranstad. My mind from this time on till Wednesday, March 27th is more or less of a jumble. From Wolveranstad we went out as a flying column under Grenfell, flying column means chasing about the country with one bayonet and a waterproof sheet and the least possible amount of stuff, and only three trollies and Cape carts. We had two running fights during the week, neither of which amounted to much, and ??? date before mentioned we got back to Hartebeestefontein, where some men were sent into town for remounts, I among them. We came back the same day and moved off on the next morning. Then we trekked about for another week, we got to Vaal Banks, and there the plan was to rest. It was during this time that we heard of the wounding of Methuen and the cutting up of his men. However from the accounts we heard he is doing well and will get alright, which is a good thing as he is a good man.

The Kamloops boys are well and fit. McLean and Haddock however have left as the former is transport corporal at headquarters and the latter is in remount department G.K.O. Woods is leaving the force on account of illness, the rest are same as usual.

We have met the Canadians, the 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles. They were camped about a mile from us for about a week.

Page 2.

It was a huge pleasure to see all, A. Bayntun, F. Lowe and ??? were all over to the camp and you can imagine far better than I can describe the pandemonium that ensured; how's so and so, and what's become of this and that man, and so on ad lib. It was rather hard lines that most of our fellows were away on column, but we that were left did our best to give the boys a good Canadian welcome, which took the form of large and frequent drafts of beer till our stock was diminished. There were so many and they all had such good Canadian thirsts that even two 56 gallon casks could not last for ever. However we did our little best and I think most of them were fairly well satisfied, I hope so anyway. One thing we noticed was that there seemed to be a great many more Easterners than Western men. They were more equally divided in the other contingents. They went out three days ago towards Vaal Banks, and that's the last we have heard of them."

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From the Inland Sentinel, Kamloops, B.C.
December 10, 1901 - page 3

WITH THE CONSTABULARY
An Interesting letter from a Kamloopian

All the Kamloops Men are Well and in Good Shape - Boys are Well Spoken Of - Camp Life.

The following letter from Trooper G.H. Dyson will be read with interest by all who are interested in the South African Constabulary. Since the letter was written their wish for a little scrap has been gratified, as on November 15th last a skirmish took place in that quarter.

Troop 16 A Division, S.A.C., Krugersdorp, Transvaal, S.A., October 28th, 1901

Dear Old Man:

I see by my diary that the last time I wrote was August 26th, and though you don't deserve a letter yet out of the kindness of my heart I will send you a line. Well, we are still at the same camp but we had some changes; one that will interest you is that Byrne has left us and gone to 13 Troop as 2nd class sergeant. Our new man, by name Kingston, is a first-class man, an old artillery man and No. 1 on the gun or sergeant. He thoroughly understands his work and in consequence the troop is very much smarter and more like soldiers, though not of the War Office stamp, I do not think they will ever get us like that. Fenner, who I daresay you remember acted as Burstall's orderly when he recruited us, has left us and gone to 9 Troop as third class trooper. He was another good fellow, and we have a chap called Carver now who came out here with the First Australian Contingent as R.Q.M.S.; he is a nephew of Colonel Edwards, our Division Commander, and a very good man at his work.

As to the Kamloops crowd, we are all very well and fit. Haddock has been bothered with his teeth, the rest of us are keeping our end up very well. There have been no more promotions since I last wrote so I cannot gladden the hearts of Kamloopians by the noble doings of their representatives. But I must tell you what they think of us at headquarters. Colonel Edwards wrote a congratulatory letter to Captain Burstall, speaking in high terms of the work he and his men had done in the past fortnight. We captured 15 Boers in that time and made it so hot for 23 more that they had to leave this part of the country, and we heard they were nailed by a column the day after we drove them out of their stronghold in the hills round here. We wounded three but did not get hold of them. A short time ago we had a medical inspection by the P.M.O. of this division, Major Priddle. He complimented the Captain on the physique of his men, and also said that we were personally the cleanest troop he had examined in the Division. I am glad to say he had nothing to say to me, passed me without a word as physically fit. There were only about ten or twelve that had absolutely nothing the matter with them. Just at present we are having intermittent sort of weather, very hot for a few days, and then a regular downpour for a day or so, and so on. The country is looking lovely, with green grass and the flowers.

There is a great variety of wild flowers here, though I do not know the names of any of them. Feed is good and plentiful and so our horses are picking up and beginning to look fairly fit, and it's about time, poor beasts, they had a very hard time of it at first. Rinderpest has broken out among our oxen and they are dying by ones and twos. Yesterday we inoculated them with the serum of one of the dead oxen. It is not a safe cure but a preventive, and sometimes acts very well.

I sincerely hope our horses won't get it; they are liable to it, but nothing like as much as cattle.


Page 2.

We have been hard at work today digging shelter trenches, because we expect a friendly call from Kemp. There is a drive going on somewhere and they expect he will come along this way, and may stop and exchange a few civilities with us on his way. I am not looking for trouble, but I feel, with the rest of the troop, that we would like to have a little excitement again just to break the monotony, as we have not had a brush with them since leaving Fort Canada.

It seems to me that the fellows are more contented than they used to be (I had to leave this in a hurry yesterday, to go to stables, and, being on guard at night, had no chance to get at it again until to-night) and the reason is because they are getting more used to the life, the work is not so hard as it was, and, above all things, our commissariat has improved vastly, owing to the fact of having a good quarter-master sergeant, and you know how a man's tummy appeals to his temper and acts on his spirits.

I have been out on grazing guard all day, which consists of three men who take out the horses about a mile or so and look after them till ten o'clock, when we bring them in for noon stables; then take them out again at two o'clock and keep them out till four. We go out with rifles and bandoliers, as one never knows when some gay and festive Boer may happen to come along and make things lively.

We hear all sorts of rumors about going into Krugersdorp for duty - that we are going to be the troop for duty in town - and then comes another story that we are going on column - and so on; but they are chiefly rumors. I think myself that the most likely thing is that we shall stay here till the rainy season is over.

Ever yours,
G.H. Dyson

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A search for WW1 Campaign medals shows Gerald Hope Dyson,

Medal card of Dyson, Gerald Hope

Royal Garrison Artillery, Rank Second Lieutenant
Royal Garrison Artillery attached Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Rank Lieutenant
Date 1914-1920 Catalogue reference WO 372/6

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March 5, 2005
Military records now obtained by Alan Hughes in England reveal that Gerald Hope Dyson enlisted at age 39 for WW1. Height 5ft 5 ", chest 36 " inflated. Born August 31, 1877, Kensington, England.

Not married at the time of his enlistment and names his next of kin as Emily Sarah Dyson, mother. In 1917 he is admitted to military hospital in Kent with symptoms of syphilis contracted 10 years earlier while in Bombay.
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CANADIAN SOUTH AFRICAN SERVICE
APPLICATION FOR VOLUNTEER BOUNTY, 1908
INSTRUCTIONS
Applications must be sent to THE SECRETARY, MILITIA DEPARTMENT, OTTAWA

APPLICANT'S STATEMENT

I, Gerald Hope Dyson of Cecil Chambers 86 Strand London W.C., tobacco salesman, do hereby apply for a grant of land under the provisions of The Volunteer Bounty Act, 1908

The grounds of my application are as follows:-

I was enlisted in the South African Constabulary and served with it and the British Forces in South Africa from 3rd May 1901 to 24 February 1906. My discharge from said corp is enclosed herewith. At the time of my said enlistment and during my said service I was domiciled in Kamloops B.C. in the Dominion of Canada

(signed) G H Dyson

APPLICANT'S DECLARATION

I, Gerald Hope Dyson of Cecil Chambers 86 Strand W.C., tobacco salesman, do solemnly declare that I am the person mentioned in the foregoing application for Volunteer Bounty.
That all the statements made by me in said application are true.
And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and knowing that it is of the same force and effect as if made under oath and by virtue of the Canada Evidence Act.

(signed) G. H. Dyson

Declared before me at No. 85 Martin's Place London England this 7th day of October 1909

(signed) H. Petertenn?, Notary Public
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searched 1901 census for Kamloops b.c. and found no Gerald Dyson to be present on that census taking.. (June 24, 2004, jca)

but in the 1900-1901 Kamloops city directory, there was a T. H. Dyson cigarmaker. is this our G. H. Dyson??

A few details of the life of Gerald Hope Dyson are now know, as he was mentioned in the Calgary Herald Weekly as a son of Thomas Dyson upon the death of Thomas in England in 1897. Also Gerald Hope Dyson and Arthur Dyson both enlisted into the South African Constabulary and had consecutive regimental numbers. His letters from South Africa to Kamloops, B.C. make for a very fine read. His recently acquired death registration of 1931 from England also helps a great deal.
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  Research Notes:

Note that the 1947 marriage registration of 27 year old Charles Gerald Hope Dyson gives his father's name as exactly the same as his own: CHARLES Gerald Hope Dyson. This is the first reference to the name Charles G H Dyson and is very likely incorrect. jca

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Research provided by Florence Hutchison, May 2005 while in England..

"Gerald Hope Dyson had been a tea planter in Ceylon when he applied and was accepted for a course of instruction in an Officer Cadet Artillery Brigade in order to qualify for an appointment to a Commission in the Special Reserve of Officers. He joined the "B" Reserve Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery at St. John's Wood, London, N.W. on Aug. 11, 1916. At the time he enlisted he was not married and gave his mother as his next of kin. He was repatriated overseas Dec. 22, 1920. His permanent address was given as the Mercantile Bank of India. Penang, Straits Settlement" (Now part of Malaysia) He was shown as married at the time of his 1920 repatriation.
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July 29, 2005. searched entire 1917-1920 marriage registration index of England at 1837online without finding a marriage of Gerald Hope Dyson. looked at and printed each quarter index sheet.
Could the marriage status of Gerald Dyson on his 1920 military repatriation document be in error? He was single at the start of his enlistment. Further research finds Gerald Hope Dyson living in South Yarra, (Melbourne) Australia in 1924 with a Dora Christian Dyson of the same address. (Victoria Electoral Rolls, 1924) . So the reference to being married in 1920 seems to be correct....perhaps married in Australia.... james c. anderson. 2007

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Gerald might have had a son according to the Dyson family lore.. .. jca (As of Oct 2008, now confirmed to be Charles Dyson, age 5 with parents on the passenger list of the "Baradine", P & O Line, March 1926, Sydney, Australia to London, England
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July 11, 2004
Hi James,

There is a book that lists them both but it's not the one you mentioned but a newer book called "No Colours, No Drums, Canadians in the South African Constabulary" by Jim Wallace. It lists Arthur as a 3rd class trooper Reg #A1641 and B1709 and Gerald as 3rd class trooper Reg #A1642. He says that the Constabulary records are all in Rhodesia which is now Zimbabwe and are extremely difficult to get. He also mentioned that the book is hard to find.

This is an additional piece of the puzzle and it sounds like maybe both Arthur and Gerald shared a personality trait as there seems to be a bit of similarity between the buffalo coat story and the medal incident.
This seemed a rather fortuitous meeting as it gives us another little piece of the puzzle and adds to the suspected gritty nature of these individuals.

Ruth (Dyson) O'Doherty

(note by jc anderson.... note that Arthur Dyson and Gerald Hope Dyson had consecutive regimental numbers (A1641 and A1642) in the South African Constabulary. Further research in the book "No Colours, No Drums, Canadians in the South African Constabulary" would indicate that they both enlisted in the "A" squadron of the force which originated in British Columbia and specifically included the City of Kamloops".
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searched LDS # Film #2146078
World War I Army Records
A-K
for reference to Gerald Hope Dyson... not found on this film
... Maureen Lussier, Dec 2004
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November 22, 2007
This is a bit of a surprise.. It would appear that our Gerald Hope Dyson (occupation Salesman) was living in South Yarra, Victoria, Australia in 1924.. perhaps married to a Dora Christian Dyson, both of 42 Tivoli Rd and showing up on the Electoral Rolls which is a newly presented database found on : www.ancestry.com.au
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November 24, 2007
Gerald & Dora are a puzzle. I went to the Genealogy library and looked up the relevant directories. They do not appear in 1923 or 1928 editions. 42 Tivoli Rd was occupied by Robert Lemmon in both editions. 334 Toorak Rd was occupied by John Forsyth in 1922 and Charles Hartley in 1928. Perhaps they rented a room,
Also there is no record of their arrival in the shipping registers. One would imagine that they intended to stay if they registered to vote on the Electoral Roll. Who knows? No record of any marriage either.,
Barry Gasperino.
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:
Outgoing Passenger Lists, England, www.findmypast.com

Name:G H DYSON
Date of departure:8 October 1909
Port of departure:Liverpool
Passenger destination port:Quebec, Canada
Passenger destination: Quebec, Canada
Age: 32
Marital Status:Single
Sex:Male
Occupation: [blank]
Passenger recorded on:Page 19 of 29

Ship: EMPRESS OF IRELAND
Official Number: 0
Master's Name: J F Forster
Steamship Line: Canadian Pacific
Where Bound: Quebec, Canada
Square feet: 23673
Registered tonnage: 8028
Passengers on voyage:0
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NOTE: the Nanaimo Family History Society transcriptions of the incoming passenger list to Quebec City shows
different data than above and needs to be checked further:
They show: Geo. H. Dyson, age 26, Country of birth: New Zealand, arrival date Oct 15, 1909, Quebec Port, Empress of Ireland
transcribed from National Archives film T-4764, page 018-016
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An examination of the film T-4764 on-line from Archives Canada shows the Naniamo Family History Society got it right
Geo. H Dyson, (age 26) with the additional information showing him to be single, and destination to be Regina, Saskatchewan, occupation : Water Works, religion: Methodist
Further checking of index at www.findmypast.com indicates the ages of a great many passengers on this passage seem to bear no correlation to the detailed photographed images of the original passenger list on file at Archives Canada. Also, many passengers do not appear on the same index at all. The conclusion is that www.findmypast.com index is of very limited use if not horribly misleading... jca November 28, 2007
A detailed examination of the entire 1211 person passenger list shows this to be the only Dyson on this voyage. (Oct 8-1909- Oct 15, 1909) Empress of Ireland.
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www.findmypast.com has a GH Dyson, b. 1890, male, departing from Liverpool for Colombo, Sri Lanka (Ceylon) in 1920, which seems to confirm the info from his file that he sailed to Asia in 1920
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Info from www.saskhomesteads.com where I found if I entered "Dyson" in the "remarks" section, it came up with 3 documents of interest.
This shows that Arthur Dyson and Gerald Hope Dyson were both successful in getting the land grants they applied for but it looks like neither intended to come back to Canada anytime soon as they sold them.
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Jan 24, 2009, unable to locate Gerald Dyson on the 1911 census of England... jca

  Noted events in his life were:

• Residence: The Infirmary Christ's Hospital (Scholar), 5 Apr 1891. ⁵¹³

• Education: Christ's Hospital. ³³³

• Residence, 1897, Calgary, Alberta. ³⁰⁹

• Military Service: South African Constabulary, 3 May 1901-24 Feb 1906, South Africa. ^74,75

• Residence, 1901, Kamloops, B.C. ⁷⁴

• Residence, Abt 1907, Bombay, India. ³³³

• Emigration: to England, 17 Mar 1906. ⁵¹⁸

• Occupation: tobacco salesman, 1909, London, England. ⁷⁴

• Residence: Cecil Chambers, 86 Strand, London, 7 Oct 1909, London, England. ⁷⁴

• Travel, 8 Oct 1909, To Canada. ⁵¹⁹

• Residence: Tavistock Hotel, Covent Garden, 24 Jul 1916, London, England. ³³³

• Military Hospital, Dec 1917, Hilsea, Kent. ³³³

• Military Rank, WW1: Lieutenant, 1918, England. ^511,515 Royal Garrison Artillery attached Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Rank: Lieutenant

• Residence: 30 Lee Park, 15 Mar 1920, Blackheath, London. ⁵¹⁵

• Travel: "SS Leistershire" : Liverpool to (Sri Lanka) Ceylon, Jun-Jul 1920, to Sri Lanka. ⁵²⁰

• Repatriation, 1920, Penang, Straits Settlement. ³³³

• Occupation: Salesman, 1924, South Yarra, Victoria, Australia.

• Residence: 334 Toorak Rd, 1924, Toorak, Fawkner, Victoria, Australia. ⁵¹⁴

• Residence: 42 Tivoli Rd, 1924, South Yarra, Fawkner, Victoria, Australia. ⁵¹⁴

• Emigration: Sydney, Australia To London, 16 Mar 1926. ⁵²¹

• Residence: 30 Ashburnham Mansions, 1931, Chelsea, London. ⁵¹⁷

• Occupation: Journalist, 1931, Chelsea, London. ⁵¹⁷

• Land Applications: Land Applications, Soldiers of the South African War (1899-1902): Canada. ⁷⁹

• Land Applications: sale of land grants: Saskatchewan. ⁸⁰ Sold South African srip land grants to James Alton Bennett,
NW, Section 28, Township 6, Range 23, Meridian W2
SW, Section 33, Township 6, Range 23, Meridian W2
file # 2102292, Saskatchewan Land Grants, www.saskhomesteads.com

Gerald married Dora Christian Nobbs-Rawdon, daughter of Sidney Herbert Nobbs and Albinia Dora Boyd, perhaps 1916-1920 ?.³³³ (Dora Christian Nobbs-Rawdon was born in 1879 in Bath, Somerset ^{521,522,523,524} and died on 28 Jan 1958 in Montrose Les Francais the Vale, Guernsey ³⁶¹.)

  Marriage Notes:

were they married when residing in South Yarra and Toorak in 1924? or just sharing a house?