Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Gilbert Arthur Tyson was born on 27 February 1897 at Mamaku, Bay of Plenty, the eldest of Gilbert Arthur and Margaret (née de Malmanche) Tyson. Having been admitted to Willowbridge School from Waimate in August 1904, he left at the end of 1910 to go home, no doubt to work. His father died in April 1915 at Timaru.

Gilbert Arthur Tyson’s name was drawn in the Ninth Ballot which was published on 4 July 1917. A storeman, living at 18 Rathmore Street, Timaru, he enlisted on 23 July 1917 at Timaru. He was already serving with the 2nd Regiment. Single and of Church of England affiliation, he named his mother as next-of-kin – Mrs Margaret Tyson, 18 Rathmore Street, Timaru. At camp in December 1917, G. A. Tyson was one of the men of the 34th Specialists Company who, having passed the prescribed tests, were classified as trained gunners and were entitled to wear the efficiency badge.

Private G. A. Tyson embarked with the Specialist Company of the 35th Reinforcements, departing for Southampton, England, per the “Tofua” on 2 March 1918. The “Ayrshire” was due at Lyttelton on 19 or 20 September 1919. One of the South Canterbury men on board was G. A. Tyson of Timaru. He reached Timaru by the express from Christchurch on the afternoon of 22 September. The soldiers who returned were given a hearty welcome. The Deputy-Mayor “congratulated the men on their achievements, offered them the thanks of the whole community for what they had done, and wished them a speedy return to good health.” He called for cheers from the assembled crowd, and these were given with great heartiness. Discharged on 18 October 1919, he was awarded the British War Medal.

Gilbert returned to his storeman occupation in Timaru. His name was drawn again in a ballot – in early November 1940 for service in the Territorial Forces. “Because J. Rattray and Son. Ltd., Timaru, have been unable to secure a head storeman, they made application for the release from camp of Gilbert Arthur Tyson, previously head storeman of the company, with whom he had been employed for 19 years. The co-appellant company was one of the two firms which handled practically all of the wholesale rationing of tea and sugar for South Canterbury, stated Mr M. A. Raymond in support of the appeal. Eighty per cent of the lines handled by the company were rationed by the manufacturers to the merchants, and in turn rationed by the merchants to the retailers. Release was recommended, subject to service in the Home Guard.” [Timaru Herald, 18 February 1943.]

Gilbert Arthur Tyson died on 20 December 1962 at Timaru, aged 65 years. Following a service at St John’s Anglican Church, Highfield, Timaru, he was buried at Timaru Cemetery. His beloved sister Rose with whom he lived in Rathmore Street, died in 1982 and was buried with him. Their mother had died in 1922.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [18 August 2022]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [18 August 2022]; Timaru Herald, 4 July 1917, 28 & 30 August 1919, 23 September 1919, 7 November 1940, 18 February 1943, Evening Post, 19 December 1917, Sun, 29 August 1919, Press, 21 December 1962 (Papers Past) [August 2022; 09 September 2022]; School Admission record (Waimate & South Canterbury branches NZSG) [09 September 2022]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [07 September 2022]; Timaru Cemetery headstone image (Timaru District Council) [09 September 2022]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC Genealogy Society

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.