Bert Levy

As covered already, Bert & Harriet lost their only son (20) , and their nephew Cyril Whelan (19) (a Waxman) in same accident on Anzac day 1918 over the skies of London.

Bert and Harriet had also lost another another nephew 8 months earlier in August 1917 in Captain Roy Blashki from Sydney. Roy was the son of Minnie Waxman, Harriet’s elder sister. Captain Roy Blashki (photo below) had been ‘Mentioned in Despatches’ twice for bravery in late 1916. Here is his bravery recommendation from 1916. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R158564 He was killed at the terrible battle at Menin road, Ypres in Belgium.

Red Cross account of Albert’s death. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1494542

Australian War Memorial record of Albert’s action that resulted in Military Medal award. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1580958

Albert was honoured with a Last Post Ceremony at the War Memorial on the 100th anniversary of his death on March 29 2018. I understand from Phil Lipshut that a number of Levy family members were proudly in attendance.

Spare a thought especially for Harriet and Bert. In the space of ten months August 1917 to April 25 1918 they lost one son and three nephews on both sides of the family. An absolute unbearable loss for any family. Bert’s mother Mina back in St.Kilda lost 2 grandsons in one month.

Lest We Forget

In August of 1911 one of Bert’s sketches appeared in the prestigious American ‘Life Magazine’. The full-page sketch titled ‘Moths’, depicted the insect transforming into the newly invented biplanes flying too close to a lit candle, symbolically ‘the flame’, crashing to earth.[1]  In 1911, this sketch had been intended to highlight the potential pitfalls of a life on the stage, those seeking fame, but was eerily prophetic of a tragic personal event to unfold 7 years later.

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[1] ‘Moths’ Life Magazine August 17, 1911, Vol LVXII. Courtesy of The New York Public Library.

The link below allows you to take a look at that 1911 edition of ‘Life Magazine’ . The very helpful Meredith Mann, Librarian at The Brooke Russell Astor Reading Room for Rare Books and Manuscripts of the New York Public was happy to share the whole magazine with me.

Step back into 1911 in the United States. Scroll through the pages. fantastic advertisements/ sketches and stories.

Click here –

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951000583879g&view=1up&seq=265

Below is an extended piece written by Bert which contains the contents of Alwyn’s letter which he wrote just prior to his death.

This Anzac Day (April 25) will also be the 104th anniversary of the death of Bert and Harriet’s only child Alwyn. In what can only be described as truly tragic, Alwyn Levy (age 20) and his first cousin (Cyril Whelan) from Melbourne collided mid air giving a flying demonstration over London. Cyril (age 19) was the son of Australian / British entertainer Albert Whelan (Harriet’s younger brother formerly named Albert Waxman) covered in an earlier blog. So Harriet and Bert lost their son and nephew in this accident.

Just a recap. Alwyn Gordon Levy was born in Sydney in March 1898. He was Bert and Harriet’s only child. Alwyn was just 8 when he travelled with his mother to join Bert in the USA in February 1906. They lived in the neighbourhood of Flatbush, part of the Borough of Brooklyn, New York State.

Below we read that on the night of the November 1916 Presidential election Alwyn (age 18) was to use Bert’s projection device to flash the election results at the Place Theatre, NYC. It is also appears Alwyn was following in his father’s footsteps as a cartoonist. Woodrow Wilson (Democrats) won that election by the way.

Alwyn had graduated from Union College in Schenectady, New York. He was in his second year of studying engineering at Columbia when he enlisted in Canada. Listed as a student, and aged 20, he crossed the U.S./Canadian border travelling from Malone, New York to Montreal, arriving on 2nd June, 1917.

He enlisted with the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force on 7th June, 1917. His date of birth date was listed as 23rd March, 1897 & his address listed was the Windsor Hotel, Montreal. Alwyn Levy stated he was a “Student. Motor Cyclist” & had served with Students Training Camp in New York, U.S. His next of kin was listed as Bert Levy of 1104 Kenmore Place, Brooklyn, New York.

So like many others enlisting Alwyn lied about his age. He attested he was born on March 23 1897 when in actual fact he was born March 23 1898. (Age 19)

The following research is taken from a British research paper listed below – “Alwyn was initially assigned to Canadian Engineers – Signal Training Depot. He was approved to join the Canadian Royal Flying Corps on 28th November, 1917. He stated he was aged 20 years & 7 months & his trade was listed as “Misc. Aviator Cadet (Student). He had served as a Divisional Signaller – Sapper for 5 months. Alwyn Gordon Levy was posted at Toronto, Canada on 28th November, 1917 as 3rd Air Mechanic. He was discharged from Royal Flying Corps, Canada on 16th February, 1918 having been accepted into the British Royal Flying Corps. His special qualifications were listed as “three years technical training Physics, Mathematics, General Engineering, slight knowledge of French. 6 months service with C.E.F. (Despatch Rider) since joining R.F.C.” Alwyn Gordon Levy has flown “solo on Curtiss N4 – 25 hrs 15m; dual on Curtis N4 – 3hrs 50 m; Avro – Graduation from the School of Aerial Gunnery R.F.C.”

Click to access levy__alwyn_gordon.pdf

Columbia University Memorial site for fallen past students https://128.59.44.61/libraries/cuarchives/warmemorial/world-war-i/levy-alwyn-gordon.html

In June 1917, Bert Levy crossed the US / Canada border with his son Alwyn with the intent for them both to enlist in the Canadian military. Report below published in The Bulletin. Bert was 47 years of age.

The prior year, 1917 Bert had been supporting the Imperial war effort by getting behind the issue of Liberty Bonds, a war bond that was sold in the United States to support the Allied cause in World War I.

See below the recruitment campaign to reach British citizens in Canada and the USA.

Taking a break from Bert’s time in Bendigo 1900/01 and and jumping nearly two decades to 1918. This was a calamitous year for Bert and the wider Levy family. But before I take you to this, a reminder here of the good works Bert Levy was still undertaking in the United States after 15 years in vaudeville. Read the scale of the free children’s concerts Bert offered.

I have received correspondence from the extremely helpful Rita Hull at the Bendigo Family History Group’ who has pointed out that Bert’s depiction of ‘a leading Bendigo brewer’ is not a Cohn, as I thought, but rather Freddie Hunter of the Kent Brewery.

Click on the link above to read some brief history of the brewery.

Now, another terrific pick up from Rita is my error in stating the character in the centre of the montage is the Prince of Wales, ‘Dirty Bertie’… I also thought it was a photo but it could also be another sketch by Bert Levy.

I should have looked more closely and seen the title under the centre character which I think says ‘The Veteran Bandmaster’. Rita informs that the character is none other than James Northcott of the famous Northcott Band.

Rita is still assisting to identify the ‘alluring J.B’ character that Bert drew.

Here is Dr Burke-Gaffney’s 1918 Obit in the Advertiser. Described as an old man he died at age 63….. gulp!! https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/90512769?searchTerm=Burke%20Gaffney

Bert Levy, was new to being a journalist, in his late twenties in a strange city where he quickly became ‘the’ social commenter in town and established friendships with some of the most ‘connected’ people of that time …. Harry Marks was an auctioneer, former Mayor and publisher of the Bendigo Evening Mail, a third daily newspaper to rival the Advertiser and the Independent. (yes your reading correctly, 3 dailies, hard to believe when you see the malaise of print newspapers today! ) Harry took on the role of Secretary to Easter Fair electing to take no payment. Up until then, it had been a well paid position which had caused controversy. I thought Bert’s interview gives some terrific insight into ‘the pace of life’ 120 years ago. Here it is on Trove….. click here https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/89609284?searchTerm=Bert%20Levy