GROVE, George Robert Gilbert Angus
| Service Number: | 3493 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 26 August 1915, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 8th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Benalla, Victoria, 22 June 1898 |
| Home Town: | Benalla, Benalla, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Natural causes, Preston, Victoria, 1972 |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Benalla Presbyterian Church WW1 Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 26 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3493, Melbourne, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Jan 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3493, 24th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '14' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
| 5 Jan 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3493, 24th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Afric, Melbourne | |
| 4 Oct 1917: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 3493, 8th Infantry Battalion |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
Georege Robert Gilbert Angus GROVE enlisted into the AIF on 26/08/1915, taking a politicians lisence with his age to do so, he was just 16 years. Incidentally, family lore has it that when Lord Kitchener visited Benalla on January 11th 1910, George (11 at the time) was asked by Kitchener if he wanted to be a soldier in the future. Without heistation, George replied yes!
George intially was appointed to the 8/24 Rifles and embarked for Sth Africa on 5/1/1916. He was then transferred to the 8th Battalion, A Coy, on the 24/2/1916 in Egypt. George appears to have got through the 8th Battalions first foray at Pozieres between 23-27th July 1916. In this stunt A Coy under Capt James Hurrey got the furtherest forward of all the 8th's Battalions, much impressing the Battalion's commander and other notables.
George's second stunt at Pozieres, between "Munster Alley and the Tramway" (Nth East part of town) was less fortunate. On one of the attacks on the 18th August 2016, George was wounded within 8 yards of the German parapet. Here he was spotted by Lt's Willie Goodwin and Clarence (Tas) Mummery. That night, Goodwin and Mummery crept out to George, with Mummery lifting George onto Goodwin's back. They the trio then scarpered for their lines, arriving along with a hail of gun and machine gun fire after covering 150 yards of no man's land. Both Goodwin and Mummery then went on to resue other wounded men. Quite appropriately, Goodwin received a Bar to his MC (originally a VC recommendation) and Mummery a MC.
George's wound was serious and 10 days later his infected right leg was amputated mid thigh (29/8/1916). But the main thing was George survived. He later had tea with Lt Goodwin in London on July 2nd, just before George returned to Australia to be discharged on 4/10/1917.
After the army: George was fitted with a wooden leg which he seldom wore as he was amazingly active on wooden crutches. He learnt boot and shoe making and opened a small shop in Stanley, Victoria. At some stage he married and he had a son. Tragically his son died at the relatively young age of around 30. Later George moved to the city to work for BP Australin. As a lift operator and maintenance manager at the head office in Queen St Melbourne, until it closed late 1960.
His nephew, Norm Grove remembers George well as a lad for his love of boating and fishing on Port Phillip Bay and the Gippsland Lakes. In this pursuit George would not allow the loss of his leg to get in his way of these pursuits. Norm also related that George always had on him a letter from a Captain in the 8th Battalion (probably Capt James Hurrey - returned). I would like to think that both Lt Willie Goodwin and Tas Mummery would have been proud of the spirit and the way he lived his life. Unfortuantely both Goodwin and Mummery were killed during the Battles for Passchendaele in October 1917.
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