Eric Gilbert Dell 3
- Born: 1915, Lindley, Orange Free State 3
- Marriage (1): Sharlee Blanche Beresford Hall in 1944 in Greylingstad, Transvaal 3
General Notes:
Eric Gilbert Dell.
In 1939 Eric joined the fighting forces as a volunteer - World War II. He saw service in Egypt and after being wounded in the forearm spent three months in a Cairo Hospital. He recovered sufficiently to rejoin his regiment - Botha's Regiment and took part in the Battle of Alemein.
In 1953 Eric acquired his own farm and called it Mallangong. It was situated in the Greylingstad district. Eric went in for dairy farming and some agriculture.
In the General Election of 1966, Eric Dell stood for the United Party against the late Dr Hendrik Verwoerd, a former Prime Minister of South Africa, in the Nationalist stronghold constituency of Heidelberg, Transvaal. A very hard fight was put up against a formidable opponent, and inspite of pessimistic views about the end result, Eric Dell secured sufficient votes to ensure that he did not lose his deposit money. It was later that year that Dr Verwoerd was assassinated while sitting at his seat in Parliament.
In November 1971 Eric and Sharlee, nee Hall, emigrated with their youngest child, Thomas, from South Africa to Australia, with the intention of looking around for suitable farming land in the new country. They stayed in Australia for 3 years. They had a small farm at Scrubby Creek, Gympie, Queensland. During that time young Thomas, who was by then 21, decided that he no longer had any desire to return to South Africa and remained in Australia. Eric sold his property and sailed back to the land of his birth in September 1973.
Eric Dell's son, Charles had plans to emigrate to Australia with his wife and family. He hoped to go in for some vegetable farming.
Eric Dell returned to Greylingstad and lived in a friend's cottage for approximately 2 years before deciding to go back to Australia. Their final departure date from South Africa was 18th July 1975. It was arranged so that they would arrive in time for their youngest son's wedding on the 16th July 1975. (Margaret Jeal must have the dates wrong here) Thomas Dell is farming fairly near his parents home. They are living on a farm "Maryvale" which is about 32 miles from the town of Orange in NSW. Eric Dell is managing this farm for one of his wife's cousins. 3
Eric married Sharlee Blanche Beresford Hall in 1944 in Greylingstad, Transvaal.3 (Sharlee Blanche Beresford Hall was born in 1915 in Greylingstad 3.)
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