Aubrey Vivian Arthur Gayer (1878-1940)
Australian who commanded 20th DLI awarded the DSO and Bar
Aubrey Vivian Arthur Gayer, the son of Edward Ventry and Mary Hester Hawdon Gayer, was born in St Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 24 October 1878. He had three brothers and a sister and by 1900 had moved to South Africa where he served as a sergeant in the 3rd and 5th Victorian Contingents Mounted Rifles. Later, in 1900, he was nominated by the Government of Victoria and gazetted as a second lieutenant in the Derbyshire Regiment (Sherwood Foresters) and became an intelligence agent in General French’s Field Intelligence Unit. During the South African Rebellion he was a captain in the Wolmaransstad Commando and was late a full lieutenent with the XIth Potchefstroom Mounted Rifles. He then joined a permanent regiment of the Union Defence Force.
On 20 September 1915 Aubrey was married and joined the Australian Imperial Force, being re-entered as a temporary lieutenant in the 9th Bedfordshire Regiment. In 1916 he was promoted to temporary captain in the 23rd Battalion Middlesex Regiment and promoted to temporary major in March 1917. He commanded the battalion from 19 August 1917 until he was wounded on 14 October, being awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and mentioned in despatches (MiD). On 20 November he was gazetted as a temporary lieutenant-colonel in command of the 20th Battalion Durham Light Infantry and retained command until 14 June 1919, during which time he was awarded a Bar to the Distinguished Service Order and was mentioned in despatches on two further occasions. On 14 June 1919 he relinquished his commission, retaining the rank of lieutenant colonel, and in July was awarded the Croix de Guerre [French military decoration]. He later returned to Africa and died in Southern Rhodesia [now Zimbabwe] on 23 December 1940.
His award of the DSO was gazetted on 19 November 1917 and the citation reads:
“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He led his battalion in an attack on a strongly held nest of concrete posts. Though wounded during the operations he continued to command his battalion with great ability for four days until it was relieved, and by his devotion to duty set a magnificent example to all ranks”.
His Bar to the DSO was gazetted on 16 September 1918 and the citation reads:
“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty while commanding his battalion during an enemy attack. Six times in one morning, owing to his fine example, the battalion repulsed enemy attacks with heavy loss. Next evening, when ordered to withdraw, he did so skilfully, with four casualties. He did fine work”.
Birth date: 25-Oct-1878
Death date: 23-Dec-1940
Armed force/civilian: Army
Residence: St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia
Family: Father: Edward Ventry Gayer
Mother: Mary Hester Hawdon Gayer (nee Chambers)
Siblings: Oswald Ventry Noel, Farquhar William Ventry, Esmond Courtney & Alice Florence Ventry Gayer
Wife: A Gayer (no other details)
Military service:
3rd & 5th Victorian Contingents Mounted Rifles - Sergeant
Derbyshire Regiment (Sherwood Foresters) - 2nd Lieutenant
Wolmaransstad South African Commando - Captain
XIth Potchefstroom Mounted Rifles - 1st Lieutenanat
Union of South Africa Defence Force
9th Bedfordshire Regiment - temporary Lieutenant
23rd Battalion Middlesex Regiment - temporary Major
20th Battalion Durham Light Infantry - temporary Lieutenant Colonel
Medal(s): Distinguished Service Order and Bar
Mentioned in Despatches (3)
Queen’s South Africa Medal
British War Medal
Victory Medal
Croix de Guerre
Gender: Male
Contributed by John Edwards
