Person

Basil George Bryant was born in Wylam, Northumberland, on 28 November 1872. The son of Edward Ross and Eliza Bryant, both parents came from the Surrey area but Basil, his older sister, and younger brother were all born at Wylam. The 1901 Census records them living, at Redhouse, Grainger Park, Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, with the father describing himself as a Spanish Merchant, and Basil working as a Merchant’s Clerk.

On 30 January 1900, Basil Bryant appears in the London Gazette, commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 3rd Volunteer Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers (NF), effective 31 January. In papers that make up his First World War officer’s record, he notes this as being around April 1900, by which time the battalion had actually been re-designated 6th (City) Battalion, headquartered at Newcastle. He resigned his commission in 1903 stating he had moved ‘some distance from Newcastle’ and could not easily attend drills.

In 1907 he married Sheila Balkwill at Corbridge and they went on to have two sons, Arthur Dennis (who was serving with 2nd Battalion NF in 1933, and Richard King Bryant.

He married Sheila Balkwill at Corbridge on 20th March 1907.

After the outbreak of the First World War, Bryant enlisted with 10th Battalion and initially served as a Sergeant, with the regimental number 15214. On his application for a temporary commission in December 1914, he states that he previously made one in August, and was offered 3rd Battalion DLI, but wanted to remain with the 10th. This later application is endorsed by Lieutenant Colonel HHS Morant, the commanding officer of 10 DLI. Bryant was commissioned as temporary second lieutenant on 16 January 1915 and embarked for France on 21 May 1915

On 3 June 1916, Bryant was gazetted for being awarded the Military Cross in King George V’s birthday honours list. Having been promoted several times already, he was made a temporary major on 26 June. However, on 17 September 1916, he was injured during 10 DLI’s action in the Battle of the Somme. He received gunshot wounds to the right arm and right buttock. He was sent back to England for treatment and recovery. On 2 October, Bryant appeared before a medical board in London which declared that he would be medically unfit for General Service for two and half months, and home service for two months. He was granted medical leave until 1 December and returned to Northumberland. On 5 December, he appeared before another medical board, this time at Alnwick, and was signed off as fit for General Service. He was told to report to 3rd (Reserve) Battalion DLI at South Shields.

Bryant returned to France, rejoining 10 DLI on 21 January 1917 where they were located just south of Arras. In August 1917, Bryant was ordered to report to the Labour Corps depot and was briefly in charge of 268 Employment Company – a salvaging unit, whose job involved going through the trenches to scavenge for useful materials, before becoming a salvage officer for VIII Corps. This post lasted until July 1918, when Bryant was made a salvage staff captain at the Fifth Army Headquarters. On 2 October, he was sent back to England to attend a Senior Officers Course at Aldershot. He was demobilised from the Officers Dispersal Unit, London, with effect from 6 February 1919.

After the war Bryant continued as a coal merchant business, with offices at the Exchange Buildings, Newcastle. According to probate records, by 1960, he was living at Crawley Tower, Powburn, Northumberland. He died in hospital at Rothbury on 3 March 1960.

This information was derived from the officers service records, held at The National Archives, Kew, London: WO 339/31447
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1085349

Birth date: 28-Nov-1872

Death date: 3-Mar-1960

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: 19 Wentworth Place, Elswick (1881 census)
Eglingham, Alnwick, Northumberland (1891 census)
Redhouse, Grainger Park Road, Elswick (1901 census)
Greystones, Stocksfield, Northumberland (service record)
Corbridge, Northumberland (service record)
Eglingham, Alnwick, Northumberland (service record)
Ingram House, Ingram Hill, Powburn, Northumberland (Electoral Registers 1920-27, 1939 Register)
Crawley Tower, Powburn, Northumberland (1960, probate records)

Employment: Coal merchant

Family: Father: Edward Ross (c.1830)
Mother: Eliza (nee King-Church), (c.1838)
Siblings: Annie Frances (c.1865), Thomas J. (c.1867), Edward E. (c.1868), Ella (c.1870), Charles H. (c.1871), Gabrielle C. (c.1876), Reginald Eyne (c. 1878), Gerard King (c. 1880) (1881, 1891, 1901 census)

Wife: Sheila, nee Balkwill
Sons: Arthur Denis, Richard King

Military service:

1900 – 3rd Volunteer Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers
1903 – resigned commission having achieved rank of lieutenant
Aug-1914 enlisted with 10th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, rank of sergeant, regimental number 15214
16-Jan-1915 – commissioned as temporary second lieutenant, 10 DLI
26-Jun-1915 – appointed temporary major
17-Sept-1916 – wounded in action and returned to England for recovery and medical leave
3rd (Reserve) Battalion Durham Light Infantry at South Shields
21-Jan-1917 – rejoined 10 DLI
Aug-1917 – transferred to Labour Corps commanding 268 Employment Company
Sept-1917 – salvage officer for VIII Corps
Jul-1918 – salvage staff captain at Fifth Army Headquarters
2-Oct-1918 – Senior Officers Course, Aldershot
6-Feb-1919 – Demobilised, London

Medal(s): 15 Star
Victory Medal
British War Medal
Military Cross – London Gazette Supplement, 3 June 1916, p5551

Gender: Male

Contributed by Vivienne Lowe