Jan 23, 2015

Cyril George BARTRAM [1889 - 1947]




Cyril George BARTRAM
born 14 August 1889 at 5 Hull Street in
Richmond, Victoria, Australia.

his parents were:

George Andrew BARTRAM
and
Isabella SHANDS

Cyril had three sisters and four brothers
one brother, Percy William Henry BARTRAM 
died in 1879 as an infant.

the other three brothers were all KIA during WW1

Reginald Percy BARTRAM [1880 - 1917]
Raymond Everard BARTRAM [1893 - 1917]
Arnold Roy BARTRAM [1895 - 1917]

Cyril's sisters were:

Evelyn Constance BARTRAM [1883 - 1940]
Ethel Murial BARTRAM [1891 - 1955]
Clarice Edna BARTRAM [1896 - 1943]

in 1916 - prior to his enlistment - Cyril married 
Eliza MacGregor MURRAY

on the 31st March 1916
Cyril George BARTRAM 
applied to enlist in the AIF.
he was aged 26 years and 7 months at the time and
was residing at 'Inverness' in Gillies Street, Fairfield.

He was not accepted until 1st May 1916



Cyril was given the service number of 2126 and was allocated to the 58th Battalion.

 
He declared that he had never been convicted by the Civil Power, nor had he ever been rejected as unfit for His Majesty's Service. 

Cyril was 5' 9 1/2" tall, weighed 140 lbs, had chest measurements of 34 - 37", his complexion was fresh, eyes were blue and he had brown hair.   His religion was Congregational.   He had vaccination marks, 4 on his left arm, 1 on his right.   He had moles on his left cheek.   He was considered fit for active service on 31 Mar 1916 but there is a handwritten annotation "Dental Treatment" on his Medical Examination.   (Perhaps dental treatment was required before he was accepted?)





Two months later - 1st August 1916 - Cyril embarked from Melbourne aboard the HMAT Orsova with the 4th Reinforcements alongside his brother - Arnold Roy BARTRAM - also in the 58th Battalion.

HMAT ORSOVA

by the time the Orsova reached Plymouth in the September, Cyril was ill with influenza and was immediately transferred to the Military Hospital,
Devonport, England on 14 Sep 1916, "Sick (slight)" and transferred to 3 Auxiliary Hospital on 28 Nov 1916.  He was discharged from 3rd Auxiliary Hospital, Dartford, Weymouth on 13 Dec 1916.

By the 25th January 1917 Cyril was admitted to the Fargo Hospital in Salisbury. He was dangerously ill with post-cerebro meningitis.


Cyril George Bartram returned to Australia embarking England on 27 Jul 1917  on board HMAT A64 "Demosthenes" and disembarked, Melbourne, on 24 Sep 1917 suffering Spinal Meningitis.  He was discharged at Melbourne on 26 Oct 1917.







Cyril was awarded the British War Medal but his documents show it was returned, 19 May 1923.  There is no indication of it being issued later, nor is there any explanation offered.  He was not eligible for the 1914-15 Star, (he joined too late), nor the Victory Medal, (he did not enter a theatre of war on duty).  

in 1925 he and his wife were residing at "Raymond", 59 Red Bluff Street, Sandringham.  Cyril was listed as an 'accountant' and Eliza as 'home duties' in the 1924 census.

In December 1925 he was the "officer in charge of the war pensions section".

By December 1927 - Cyril had become Mayor of Sandringham.
He was 39 years of age.

See attached from The Argus Newspaper at the time.

"A by-election was held yesterday to fill a vacancy in the Black Rock ward representation on the Sandringham Council, caused by the death of Councillor W. G. Knott, Cyril George Bartram was elected by a majority of 51 votes. He obtained XXX votes and his opponent William Westfield.
"



The wife of Cyril - Eliza BARTRAM (nee MURRAY) - died in 1942 aged 51 years.

According to the 1943 census, Cyril was listed as an accountant at 9 Stanhope St, Sandringham.

Cyril George BARTRAM died from Cancer of the Oesophagus on 21st January 1947 and was buried at the Cheltenham Cemetery on 22nd January.






a tree commemorates the 58th Battalion of World War One at The Shrine of Remembrance in St Kilda Road, Melbourne.

the blog posts on Cyril's three brothers are located below:


Arnold Roy BARTRAM







 
as always, these blog posts are only possible with the generous help and support from the Australian War Memorial, The Australian Defence Force, The National Archives and various family members.












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