SAPPER CHARLES GREHN
3303 – 1st Tunnelling Company
Charles Grehn completed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’ and the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ on 14 January 1916 at Brisbane, Queensland. He was a Naturalised British Subject having been born in Switzerland and was a Labourer by trade.
He named as his Next-of-Kin his friend Joe Prouter of Merryville Street, South Brisbane Queensland. A medical examination recorded that he was 37 years of age, stood 5ft 9ins tall and weighed 145 lbs. He had a fair complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. The examination found him to be ‘fit for active service’.
He trained as a Private soldier with 11th Depot Battalion from 20 January until 23 February 1916, when he was transferred to the 17th Reinforcements to the 15th Infantry Battalion. On 24 March he was transferred to the Tunnelling Corps.
On 11 May 1916 he was appointed to No.4 Tunnelling Company at Rosebery Park, New South Wales.
Charles embarked from Sydney on board Warilda on 22 May 1916.
Two Sections of the Northern recruits to form the No.4 Company had embarked from Brisbane, Queensland early in May, 1916 aboard HMAT A69 Warilda for Sydney, New South Wales (NSW). Six officers and 152 other ranks together with the 1st Reinforcements of fifteen other ranks made up the two sections.
At Rosebery Park, Sydney, NSW they joined their Headquarters and two sections (8 officers & 153 O.Rs.) plus 1st Reinforcements consisting of one officer and seventeen other ranks for final training.
The 7713 ton transport departed Sydney, NSW on May 22, 1916 and collected in Melbourne, Victoria the No 5 Company recruited from Victoria, South Australia & Tasmania consisting of a Headquarters and 2 Sections (8 officers & 173 men) (3 M.D.). 1 Section from Tasmania (3 officers & 76 O.Rs); also 1st Reinforcements for No 5 Company (17 men from Vic. & 8 men Tas.) The ship departed on May 25, 1916 for Adelaide, S.A. to collect one Section of 3 officers & 76 O.Rs with 1st Reinforcements of 8 O.Rs.
Docking at Fremantle, W.A. on June 1, 1916 No 6 Company recruited from W.A. of 14 officers and 325 O.Rs along with 1st Reinforcements of 1 Officer & 32 O.Rs embarked and Warilda departed the same day for the European theatre.
Durban, South Africa was reached on June 16, 1916 and Cape Town on June 21, 1916 while St Vincent completed the African ports of call on July 7, 1916. Discipline was fairly good except at intermediate ports where soldiers going Absent Without Leave caused concern.
The fifty-eight day voyage experienced remarkable pleasant weather and terminated at Plymouth, England on July 18, 1916. Four, Five and Six Companies comprising of 1064 officers and other ranks were detrained to Amesbury and Tidworth to begin training for the front.
Charles proceeded overseas to France on 29 August 1916. He marched in to the 2nd Australian Divisional Base Depot on 30 August. On 30 September 1916 he was taken on strength of the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company.
Reported sick on 26 December 1916 and was admitted to the 6th London Field Ambulance with pyrexia. He was transferred to NM Casualty Clearing Station on 3 January 1917 and rejoined his unit on 11 January 1917.
On 16 March 1918 Charles proceeded on leave to Paris. On 6 April while returning from leave he reported sick and was sent from the 9th Rest Camp to the 51st General Hospital at Etaples. On 7 April 1918 admitted to 39th General Hospital at Havre, with an undiagnosed illness.
He was discharged from hospital on 20 June and marched in to the Australian General Base Depot (AGBD) at Rouelles on the same day. He marched out of the AGBD on 10 July and rejoined his unit on 14 July 1918
Charles Grehn was killed in action on 29 October 1918 and was buried the next day at Sheet 57B:V.10.a.3.2., and later in the Busigny Communal Cemetery Extension, Plot II, Row A Grave 3.
[Watson is in grave A.1 and Bodinner in grave A.2.]
The War Diary of 1ATC for 29 October 1918 records:
“Fine. Enemy bombed camp during evening. 3 men killed and 9 wounded.”
The three men killed were Charles’ 6102 Sapper Charles Bodinner of Moonta, South Australia and 8217 Sapper William Watson of Oakleigh, Victoria.
In June 1919, a letter was forwarded to his Next-of-Kin, J. Prouter, advising the details of Charles’ death. The letter was placed in the Dead Letter Office, Melbourne in February 1920 and returned to Base Records in September that year.
In December 1920 a copy of Charles’ Death Certificate was provided to the Public Curator, Brisbane.
It was recorded that on 22 November 1921 three copies of photographs of Charles grave were ‘transmitted’ to his Next-of-Kin.
In February 1922, Base Records wrote to the District Finance Office (DFO), 1st Military District requesting the names and addresses and relationship of claimants for the War Gratuity on account of Charles’ death.
The information was required to assist with the disposal of his war medals. The DFO replied later that month that no claims had been lodged for Charles’ War Gratuity. It was further advised that his estate was held in Trust Fund Account owing to the inability to trace deceased’s relatives.
The British War Medal, Victory Medal were placed in the ‘Untraceables’ Store in March 1922.
The Memorial Plaque, Memorial Scroll and pamphlet “Where The Australians Rest” were also placed in the ‘Untraceables’ Store in September 1922.
On 1 May 1923 Base Records Melbourne wrote to Mr. J Prouter requesting information on any relatives of Charles’ as Base Records wished to dispose of his war medals. There is no record of a reply from Mr. Prouter.
© Donna Baldey 2012
NOTE:
Further research has revealed that there was no one named Prouter living in Queensland at the time Charles enlisted. His Next-of-Kin was recorded in 1916 as:
‘Mr. Joe PROUTER, MERRYVILLE Street, South Brisbane.’
The Queensland Census for 1925 records a Joseph and Florence Emma PROUTEN living in MERIVALE Street, South Brisbane. Joseph Prouten died in 1932 in Queensland.
It seems a simple mis-recording of a name and address may have denied Charles’ Next-of-Kin the war memorabilia due to him.