Chunder, Bervin George (2591) aka Lester, Bervin George
Place of Birth: South Melbourne, VIC
Age: 40 years 4 months
Enlistment Details: Saturday, 17 July 1915 – Melbourne, VIC
Service Number: 2591 view online service record
Address:
Buffalo, VIC
Next of Kin:
Willian Chunder (father)
249 Esplanade
Port Melbourne, VIC
Embarkation Details:
Date: Wednesday, 27 October 1915
Ship: HMAT Ulysses A38
Port: Melbourne, VIC
Unit: 22nd Infantry Battalion – 6th Reinforcements
Fate:
RTA: Saturday, 25 August 1917
Discharged: Friday, 14 December 1917
3 Comments
Brian Membrey
True name Bervin George LESTER, parents William and Anne (nee BROWN), born Emerald Hill, 1875. Correct identity revealed via Statutory Declaration 21 March, 1921, but in a further Stat Dec in 1937 when he applied for replacement medals after a fire, he again signed as “Chunder”
Brad Colley
My great grandfather Bervin George LESTER was married to my grandmother May Mabel TONKIN in Bicton, Perth WA 1.4.1899. They moved to Boulder City in Kalgoorlie Goldfields where 2 sons were born, Bervin Theodore Reginald (Reg) Henry LESTER (1899) and Eric Athol Bert LESTER (my grandfather) were born. The day Eric was born 23.10.1902, Bervin was made bankrupt due to having purchased a house which he perhaps didn’t know was built on land which was not also included. Eventually the Government sold him the land but he now had to pay off the land as well as the house . As he couldn’t afford both, he was bankrupted. Then to make matters worse, his employer, being the WA Govenrment Railways, had a policy that they would not employ any bankruptees! He may have been allowed to be reemployed under an alias variation of his name such as George or Bertie Lester. Sadly Bervin abandoned his family and returned to his father and siblings in Victoria. He never reconnected with him wife and sons who had tried to track him down during WW1 and this is the reason why Bervin ‘deserted’ and reenlisted under the alias of Bertie/Bervin Chunder. Berlin’s sons would never talk about their dad. My mother and her siblings were able to view a photo of their grandfather Bervin for the first time in about the mid 1990’s. Ironically Bervin and his first wife May Mabel died 6 weeks apart. Granddad Eric Lester discovered his father had married illegally to Alice Hall under the name Chunder about 1941 when he went in to pay the death duties for his mother. The official told him there was also another Mrs Bervin Lester in Melbourne claiming a War Widows pension.
David Thompson
Thank you for the additional information regarding your great grandfather.