BX October 3, 1949
William Bryans, One of City’s Oldest Veterans Passes
William Bryans, 74 of 7 Jubilee Avenue, a veteran of service in India, the Sudan Campaign, the South African War and the First World War, and one of Brantford’s best known war veterans, died Sunday at Sunnybrook Hospital, Toronto. He fought with Kitchener at Khartoum, and was a prisoner of the Boers at Pretoria. In recognition of his long military service, the Imperial Veterans’ Association here had made him an honorary life member. He was a holder of the Mons Star, the Sudan medal, South African War medal and medals for the King’s South African campaign, the First Great War and the Orange Free State. Originally with the Royal Iris Rifles, he was late of the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Born at Armagh, Ireland, February 6, 1875, he enlisted with the Irish Rifles on September 29, 1893 at the age of 18. He saw garrison service in Ireland and England for a year before going to Malta. From Malta, he was sent to Bombay, India, where he was stationed for a year. He often recalled that the voyage to India was one of the roughest and most perilous his unit had ever taken and the ship, S.S. Victoria, barely made port.
He was serving at Poona when he heard that the Irish Fusiliers, then in India, were going to Egypt. He asked for a transfer and went with the Fusiliers first to Burma, then Egypt. He went up the Nile with 40 others and four machine guns to take part in the battle at Khartoum. After the fall of Khartoum, his regiment was sent to Alexandria for a rest and then was ordered to South Africa, landing at Durban just 50 years ago, October 11, 1899.
Mr. Bryans fought at Dundee in the first general engagement of the South African War. The British lost General Penn Symons there, he recalled. The regiment was ordered back to Ladysmith to protect the flank of Sir George White, with his mountain battery, the Gloucester Regiment. The battery was lost to the Boers as the Fusiliers moved into position and the Fusiliers were surrounded and had to surrender, too.
Mr. Bryans, with the rest of the prisoners, was taken to Pretoria and there the prisoners camped on the racetrack for ten months. When they were released, the Fusiliers were used in the pursuit of General de Wet.
At Armagh on August 2, 1902, Bryans received his discharge. He came to Canada on May 23, 1910. He was one of the first group of Canadian soldiers to go overseas as a volunteer when the First World War broke out. He enlisted in August 1914, and was with the first Canadian contingent to go to France. He served there for two years before returning to Canada. He was entitled to wear 16 service ribbons, beside the service medals that had been presented to him.
Besides his widow, formerly Sarah Jane Morrow, he leaves a daughter, Mrs. William J. Biggar, Wallaceburg and two sisters, Mrs. William Gorman, Gosport, Hants, England and Mrs. Joseph Graham of Belfast, Ireland.
His funeral will be conducted Wednesday afternoon with military honors.
BX October 3, 1949
William Bryans
William Bryans, husband of Sarah Jane Morrow, and one of Brantford’s best known war veterans, was buried with military honors on Wednesday afternoon. The funeral service was conducted at Thorpe Brothers’ Funeral Home. Many relatives, friends and members of the Ex-Imperials Club attended. The Brantford British Ladies’ Club attended in a group. Rev. F.W. Schaffter, rector of St. Jude’s Anglican Church, and padre of the Ex-Imperials Club, were: George Smith, Alex McCrae, D. Saunders, Charles Stubbs, A. Grimshaw and E. Baker. Interment was in Farringdon Burial Ground. The Last Post was sounded by Bugler Harvey Richards.
