Ralph Edward John Dyer

Forenames

Ralph Edward John AWMM

Surname

Dyer AWMM

Also known as

• Crystal AWMM
• Cryssie AWMM

Service number

WWII 71673 AWMM

Gender

Male AWMM

Birth

26 Mar 1916 AWMM

Address before enlistment

• WW2 Pre 1942 AWMM 7 O'Rorke St., Auckland AWMM
• WW2 Pre 1942 AWMM 7 O'Rorke St., Auckland AWMM
• WW2 Pre 1945 AWMM 7 O'Rorke St., Auckland AWMM

Post war occupation

• Set designer AWMM
• Female impersonator AWMM
• Interior designer/Civilian AWMM

Next of kin

• WW2 Mrs. J. Leighton, Eskdale Flats, 63 Park Rd., Grafton, Auckland (m) AWMM
• WW2 Mrs. J. Leighton, Eskdale Flats, 63 Park Rd., Grafton, Auckland (m) AWMM
• WW2 Mrs. J. Leighton, 78 Symonds St., Auckland (m) AWMM

Relationship status

• Pre 1942 AWMM Single/WWII AWMM
• Pre 1942 AWMM Single/WWII AWMM
• Pre 1945 AWMM Single/WWII AWMM

War

World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM

Campaign

• Pacific Theatre of War AWMM
• Italy AWMM

Armed force / branch

Army AWMM

Service number

WWII 71673 AWMM

Military service

New Zealand Entertainment Unit (Kiwi Concert Party) AWMM

Enlistment

• WW2 1942 2NZEF Nom. Roll 7, p.44 Commercial artist/Civilian 2NZEF Nom. Roll 7, p.44
• WW2 1942 2NZEF Nom. Roll 9, p.118 Commercial artist/Civilian 2NZEF Nom. Roll 9, p.118
• WW2 1945 2NZEF Nom. Roll 15, p.43 Commercial artist/Civilian 2NZEF Nom. Roll 15, p.43

Embarkation details

• WW2 Private 2NZEF Nom. Roll 7, p.44 Headquarters, 35th (Mixed) Battalion 2NZEF Nom. Roll 7, p.44 Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM
• WW2 Private 2NZEF Nom. Roll 9, p.118 Headquarters, 35th (Mixed) Battalion 2NZEF Nom. Roll 9, p.118 Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM
  2nd Embarkation AWMM
• WW2 Private 2NZEF Nom. Roll 15, p.43 New Zealand Army Pay Corps 2NZEF Nom. Roll 15, p.43 Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM
  3rd Embarkation AWMM

Member of the Kiwi Concert Party, female impersonator.

Post war worked briefly as a female impersonator in the Kiwi Revue AWMM

Death

24 Dec 2003 AWMM

Related objects

External links

• Five members of the Kiwi Concert Party, World War Two. Dyer, Ralph :Album of photographs relating to the Kiwi Concert Party in World War II. Ref: PA1-f-162-02-2. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22313623
  https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22313623
  Further Reference
• Sophie Elborough & Victoria Passau. Female Impersonation in WWII and beyond. Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira. First published: 5 September 2025.
  https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/features/female-impersonation-ii
  Further Reference
• Ward, A. (2014, February 11; updated April 22, 2022). Musicians at War: The Kiwi Concert Party in World War II. AudioCulture
  https://www.audioculture.co.nz/articles/musicians-at-war-the-kiwi-concert-party-in-world-war-ii
  Further Reference
• Burns, C. (2012). Taste of Civvy Street: Heroic adventure and domesticity in the soldier concert parties of the first and second world wars. Journal of New Zealand Studies, (13), 115-127
  https://ojs.victoria.ac.nz/jnzs/article/view/1196/1121
  Further Reference

References

• Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1942). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 7 (Embarkations from 1st January, 1942 to 31st March, 1942). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
  p.44
• Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1945). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 9 (Embarkations from 1st July, 1942 to 31st December, 1942). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
  p.118
• Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1945). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 15 (Embarkations from 1st January, 1945 to 31st December, 1945). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
  p.43
• Coutts, B. (2020). Crossing the lines : The story of three homosexual New Zealand soldiers in World War II.
• Vaughan, T. (1995). Whistle as you go : the story of the Kiwi Concert Party. Auckland, N.Z.: Random House NZ.
• Burns, C. (2012). Parading kiwis : New Zealand soldier concert parties, 1916-1954 [Dissertation].
• Reed, J. E. (1944). Sing as We Go: The Story of the Kiwi Concert Party in the Middle East from 1941 to 1943. Wellington, N.Z.: Raupo Books.