Death Of William D. Bryan

Rarotonga, October 20.

RAROTONGA lost another well-known old-timer with the death of William D. Bryan (familiarly called O’Bryan) on October 18 at the age of 68.

A Londoner by birth, William Bryan went to sea at the age of 13, served a hard and adventurous apprenticeship in sail, and worked his way up to mate and skipper of some of the finest of the old clipper ships in the Indian and China trades. Turning later to steam, he worked for some as bo’sun on Shaw, Saville ships.

He settled in Rarotonga as wharf master for the USS Co., combining with this position the duties of local pilot. A number of vessels owed their safety to the local knowledge and expert seaman •ship of Bill Bryan.

It is recalled that in 1916, by fighting her through a fierce hurricane, he saved the schooner “Avarua” from adding her bones to those of many other ships strewing the dangerous Avarua reef.

During the years of the Pacific war, “Old Bill,” as he was known to all his friends, served as a coast-watcher on Suwarrow, Rakahanga. and Nassau in turn. Since the end of the war he had lived in retirement at his residence in Tukuvaine, Rarotonga, Mr. Bryan leaves two married daugh ters, both living in New Zealand, and a son, Don, at present in Rarotonga. Don Bryan fought in the Middle East and was among the prisoners taken by the Germans in Crete. He spent three years in captivity in Germany.

William Bryan was buried in the LMS churchyard; the funeral was attended by a large number of European resi dents.

Major E. B. Ayris returned to Australia from Lae, New Guinea, on October 18, Before the Pacific war he was on the staff of New Guinea Goldfields Ltd., at Wau. During the war he served on American Small Ships. He went back to the Territory in July; but he is one of those who can see no future in New Guinea at present. He has therefore returned to a sheep station in Queensland which he hopes will be far enough away from civilisation and politics to make life bearable.