Bryant, Edward Mars

Edward Mars Bryant was born in Essex County, Ontario, on 1 July 1873.

A masseur, Bryant enlisted in the 67th Canadian Infantry Battalion in Victoria, British Columbia, on 22 September 1915. He was 43 years old. After initial training in Canada, he embarked with his unit for England on SS Olympic, which left Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 1 April 1916 and arrived in Liverpool 10 days later. On 15 May 1916, while undergoing further training in England, the 67th Battalion was converted from an infantry battalion to a pioneer battalion. Pioneer battalions undertook important engineering tasks at the front, including trench digging and the laying of barbed-wire entanglements.

The 67th Battalion arrived in France on 14 August 1916. Less than a year later, in May 1917, Bryant was taken out of the line because he was deemed to be too old for front-line service. Returned to England, he was given a position at the Canadian Pioneer School in Seaford.

In mid-1918, Bryant returned to Canada. On 29 June 1918, he was discharged in Victoria as medically unfit for service on account of his age and general debility. He died in Vancouver, British Columbia, on 1 November 1928 of chronic myocarditis (inflammation of the heart). His death was attributed to his military service.

Edward Mars Bryant is buried in Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.