GREAYER, Joseph
| Service Number: | 4122 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 20 October 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 17th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Hull, Yorkshire, England , 30 August 1881 |
| Home Town: | Surry Hills, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Cerebrospinal Meningitis, 1st Southern General Hospital, Birmingham, England, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom, France, 7 May 1917, aged 35 years |
| Cemetery: |
Birmingham (Lodge Hill) Cemetery, Warwickshire, England Plot B, Row 10, Grave # 470, Lodge Hill Cemetery, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom, Queant Road Cemetery, Buissy, Nord Pas de Calais, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Oct 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4122, 17th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Mar 1916: | Involvement Private, 4122, 17th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of England embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note: '' | |
| 8 Mar 1916: | Embarked Private, 4122, 17th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Star of England, Sydney |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
Joseph (Joe) GREAYER was born at Hull, Yorkshire, England, on 30 August 1881. He migrated to Australia after he left school, while his family stayed in England. On 4 September 1911 he joined the NSWGR&T as a Lifter and Packer in the Railways Permanent Way Branch, but he resigned on 29 August 1912. On 2 October 1912 he re-joined, but as a labourer (temporary) in the Tramways Electrical Branch based at Randwick. His position was made permanent as a lifters’ assistant on 21 April 1913. On 20 October 1915 he was released to join the Expeditionary Forces.
Submitted 8 August 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date – 7th May…… Joe Greayer was born at Hull, Yorkshire, England on 30th August, 1881. His mother - Elizabeth Hanson Greayer died in 1885 at Skirlaugh, Yorkshire, England.
Joe Greayer, Labourer, was listed as a passenger on Otranto which departed from the port of London, England on 10th June, 1910 bound for Sydney, Australia.
He joined the NSW Government Railways & Tramways as a lifter & Packer on 4th September, 1911; resigned on 29th August, 1912 & rejoined on 2nd October, 1912. He was made a permanent employee on 21st April, 1913 & was released on 20th October, 1915 to join Expeditionary Forces.
Joseph Greayer enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 20th October, 1915 as a 33 year old, single, Labourer from 51 High Holborn Street, Surry Hills, Sydney, NSW.
On 8th March, 1916 Private Joseph Greayer, Service number 4122, embarked from Sydney, New South Wales on HMAT Star of England (A15) with the 17th Infantry Battalion, 10th Reinforcements. He embarked from Alexandria on 28th May, 1916 on H.M.T. Megantic & disembarked at Plymouth, England on 7th June, 1916.
Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. Some of these were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire.
Private Greayer proceeded overseas to France on 10th September, 1916 from 5th Training Battalion in England. He was taken on strength of 17th Battalion in Belgium on 24th September, 1916.
He reported sick on 29th October, 1916 while in France & was admitted to 6th Australian Field Ambulance Station with Scabies. Private Greayer rejoined his Battalion on 22nd November, 1916.
On 21st December, 1916 Private Greayer reported sick again. He was admitted to 1st D.R.S. (Divisional Rest Station) with Debility then transferred & admitted to 3rd Stationary Hospital at Rouen on 22nd December, 1916. Private Greayer embarked for England from Havre, France on 3rd January, 1917 on Hospital Ship St. Patrick.
He was admitted to 1st Southern General Hospital, Birmingham, England on 4th January, 1917 with “Debility etc – severe.”
Private Joseph Greayer died on 7th May, 1917 at Civil General Hospital, attached to 1st Southern General Hospital, Birmingham, England from Cerebro Spinal Meningitis.
He was buried in Lodge Hill Cemetery, Sellyoak, Birmingham, England where 54 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/-lodge-hill.html
Click images to start slideshow.