William Lewis Brewer DSM MBE (1907 - 1989)

Born 19 Nov 1907 in Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand

Ancestors

Husband of Mavis Dorothea (Snelgar) Brewer — married 1931 in New Zealand

Died 13 Oct 1989 at age 81 in Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

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William Brewer DSM MBE is an Anzac who served in World War Two.

Biography

William Brewer DSM MBE lived in Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand.

William was born in 1907. He was the son of William Brewer and Violet Wheeler. His father died in a wharf accident when he was about 4 years old.

In 1931 he married Mavis Snelgar. Before WWII he was a wireless operator in Wellington.

William joined the navy and became a naval officer.

During World War II he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. (Chief Telegraphist W.L. Brewer, DSM for action on Achilles at River Plate; from H.M.S. Achilles and the battle of the River Plate). He was awarded this in 1944, then was awarded an MBE in 1948.

His civil life after the war was to involve farming. He and Mavis farmed in Parawera and Ngahape. They retired to the Tauranga district after having four children.

He passed away in 1989 and is buried at Pyes Pa Cemetery in Tauranga.

Sources

• New Zealand Birth Index - Ancestry.com. New Zealand, Birth Index, 1840-1950 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Name: William Lewis Brewer; Birth Date: Oct-Nov-Dec 1907; Registration Place: Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand; Folio Number: 5556
• New Zealand Marriage Index - Ancestry.com. New Zealand, Marriage Index, 1840-1937 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Name: William Lewis Brewer; Gender: Male; Marriage Year: 1931; Marriage Place: New Zealand; Spouse: Mavis Dorothea Snelgar; Relation: Bridegroom; Folio Number: 8226
• WWII Appointments 1941 - Ancestry.com. New Zealand, World War II Appointments, Promotions, Transfers and Resignations, 1939-1945 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Name: Mr William Lewis Brewer; Gender: Male; Rank: Original Seniority; Military Date: 6 Feb 1941; Military Place: Wellington, New Zealand
• WWII Appointments 1945 - Ancestry.com. New Zealand, World War II Appointments, Promotions, Transfers and Resignations, 1939-1945 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Name: Mr William Lewis Brewer; Gender: Male; Rank: Commissioned Telegraphist; Military Date: 18 Jun 1945; Military Place: Wellington, New Zealand
• Online Cenotaph - Entry for William Lewis Brewer, Service no. NZ674; Chief Petty Officer, Royal New Zealand Navy
• New Zealand Electoral Roll 1946 - Ancestry.com. New Zealand, Electoral Rolls, 1853-1981 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Name: William Lewis Brewer; Electoral Year: 1946; District: Waimarino; Region or Province: Bay of Plenty
• New Zealand Electoral Rolls - 1957, 1963
• RNZN Communicators Association Honours List [1]
• New Zealand Cemetery Records - Ancestry.com. New Zealand, Cemetery Records, 1800-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Name: W L Brewer; Birth Date: abt 1907; Death Age: 82; Death Date: 13 Oct 1989; Death Place: Tauranga; Burial Place: Thames Valley, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand; Cemetery: Pyes PA
• Find A Grave: Memorial #183620476

See Also

• Remembering the Achilles and the Battle of the River Plate on NZDF website
• Wikipedia article on HMNZS Achilles
• Wikipedia Article on the Battle of the River Plate
• Title: Achilles at the River Plate Author: S. D. Waters; In: Episodes & Studies Volume 1, Publication details: Historical Publications Branch, Wellington. Part of: The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945
• New Zealand History Website Entry on the Battle of the River Plate 'Battle of the River Plate', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/battle-of-river-plate, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 27-Nov-2014