Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Rupert was the son of Frank Adolph GRIMES & Eva May COLLETT and was born on the 12th of December 1897 in Eagles Nest, near Crafers, SA.

His parents were married on the 21st of October 1896 at the residence of Frank’s parents in Fullarton Estate, SA.

His father was the son of Rupert James GRIMES & Martha SPENCER and was born on the 6th of April 1876 in Brown Hill Creek, SA.
His mother was the daughter of Young Henry COLLETT & Martha Matilda MARSHALL and was born in 1879 in Glen Osmond, SA.

Rupert was a twin and was the first child born into this family of 4 children.

His father was a nurseryman and they lived in Katherine Street, Fullarton Estate.
Their plant nursery is now the Katherine Street Park.

In 1912 Rupert joined the 74th Battalion Cadets Unley and served 4 years with them.

On leaving school Rupert followed in his father’s footsteps and became a plant nurseryman and his fathers business was renamed FA Grimes & Sons plant nursery.

In 1909 Rupert broke his arm & collar bone.

His uncle; Oscar GRIMES, enlisted into the AIF on the 3rd of August 1915 and was allotted the service number 3126 and posted to the 27th Battalion, 7th Reinforcements.
Oscar embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A7 Medic on the 12th of January 1916.

At the age of 18, Rupert enlisted into the AIF on the 30th of September 1916 in Adelaide, SA and was allotted the service number 4531 posted to E Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Mitcham Camp.
On the 5th of November 1916 his uncle Oscar was Killed in Action at Mouquet Farm.

Two days later, on the 7th of November Rupert was transferred to the 32nd Battalion, 12th Reinforcements and embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT Berrima on the 16th of December 1916.

He served in France for 2 years and was wounded twice before embarking for Australia on the 15th of January 1919 on board HMAT City of Exeter.

He disembarked in Adelaide on the 28th of February and was discharged from the AIF on the 30th of March 1919.

Rupert returned to his parents and the plant nursery and then he married Elizabeth Patterson CHRISTIE on the 15th of August 1919 at the residence of Elizabeth’s parents in Fullarton Estate, SA.
Elizabeth was the daughter of John CHRISTIE & Josephine SEARLE and was born on the 6th of November 1897 in Parkside, SA.

They welcomed their first child; Frank Ralph on the 28th of February 1920, followed by Jean Margaret on the 18th of August 1923.

They moved to Summertown for a few years but then returned to live at 21 Katherine Street, Fullarton Estate and by 1936 he was employed as a garden attendant at the Parkside Mental Home and joined the Parkside RSL.

With the outbreak of WW2 their son Frank enlisted into the RAAF (A440) on the 28th of January 1941 as a flight mechanic.

Then, aged 44, Rupert enlisted into the VDC (Volunteer Defence Corps) on the 15th of April 1942 in Adelaide, SA and was allotted the service number S70101 and posted to B Company, 3rd Battalion (Unley).

On the 14th of December 1943 he was transferred to the 507 Aust Hy SL Troop (Search Light) (Adelaide Fortress) and then on the 18th of September 1944 he was transferred to the 704 LAA Troop (Light Anti Aircraft).
Rupert was discharged from service on the 21st of October 1944 as he was unable to attend parades.

Rupert’s mother died on the 18th of June 1952 in the RAH after she was struck by car and Rupert buried in St Saviours Cemetery, Glen Osmond; Area C, Plot 31.

Rupert died on the 21st of March 1956 in Fullarton Estate and was buried 2 days later in St Saviours Cemetery, Glen Osmond; Area C, Plot 31, with his mother.

Rupert placed a headstone on his mother’s grave but Rupert’s name does not appear on the headstone.

Military

WW1

At the age of 18, Rupert enlisted into the AIF on the 30th of September 1916 in Adelaide, SA and was allotted the service number 4531 posted to E Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Mitcham Camp.
He listed his mother, of Katherine Street, Fullarton Estate, as his next of kin and she gave her consent for him to enlist as he was under age.

On the 7th of November he was transferred to the 32nd Battalion, 12th Reinforcements.

Rupert embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT Berrima on the 16th of December 1916 and after a brief stop in Fremantle he spent Christmas 1916 on board the troopship.
On the 4th of February 1917 he was unwell and was admitted to the Ships Hospital for 1 day.
Rupert disembarked in Devonport, England on the 16th of February 1917 and marched into the 8th Training Battalion in Hurdcott.

Whilst in training, Rupert suffered from an inflamed Larynx and was admitted into the Fovant Hospital on the 6th of March for 17 days before rejoining the Training Battalion.
He became sick again on the 7th of August and spent 2 days in the camp hospital.
Rupert proceeded to France on the 25th of September and disembarked in Le Havre and then on the 8th of October Rupert was transferred to the 43rd Battalion who were at Toronto Camp in Ypres.

They left Toronto Camp at 11:30am the following morning and commenced a march to the Poperinghe-Ypres Road.
The march, although undertaken in day light, proved strenuous, as only portion of the track was duckboarded and after crossing the Zonnebeke, they were subjected to harassing fire.

The next day they were detailed as a fatigue party to complete repairs to the Ypres-Zonnebeke railway track, near Tyne Cott.
They then moved into camp at Bremen Redoubt before moving forward to relieve a portion of the 9th Brigade on the 13th of October.
The march was one that Rupert would never forget, so great was the damage effected by hostile fire that in many parts of this track, mud thigh-deep had to be traversed, while the pitch-dark night, consistent rain and ceaseless shelling all assisted to prolonging their march.
By the time they reached their destination not one person in the Battalion had not fallen at least a couple of times and they were all wet and completely covered in mud.

After 2 days here they moved to a new position being between Seine and Beecham for 6 days where they were engaged in salving, burials of Australian, English and German dead, and stretcher bearing.

The Battalion then moved out and camped in tents near Ypres before proceeding on the 22nd to Krusstraat and embussing via Poperinghe, Cassel, Arques and Wizernes, to Clety and marched to billets at Avroult.
They remained here in training until the 12th of November when they returned to the return to forward areas.
Three days later they reached Kent Camp and took over Canteen Corner the next morning.
While here the Battalions role was, as part of the 11th Brigade and reserve to the 9th and 10th Brigades, then holding the Le Touquet Sector from the River Lys to the River Douve.

They were also detailed to bury cables from Nieppe to Hill 63 and on the 11th of December voting was conducted throughout the Battalion on the question of Conscription, every being given an opportunity of exercising his franchise.

Four days later they were detached for working parties near Messines under command of the Royal Engineers at Wulverghem.
Then on the 19th they moved to Erquinghem and by now excessively cold weather had set in, snow and heavy frosts causing the roads and ground to become frozen, thus making all movement, especially that of transport, most treacherous.
Owing to the uncertainty of future movements, the Battalion's Christmas dinner was held during the evening of the 22nd of December.

They then spent 9 days in this sector in the front line in the severe cold and snow before moving to Waterlands on the 4th of January 1918 and then onto Locre the following day.

They remained here in training until the 27th when they moved to Le Rossignol Camp and then on the 5th of February they moved into the front line.
Seven days later they moved back to Le Rossignol Camp, but instead of training, working parties went forward each day.

Then on the 21st they moved back into the front line for another 7 day stint until they entrained at Steenwerck Station, eventually marching into billets at Selles on the 7th of March for rest and training.
They were only here for 2 weeks before moving in full marching order, to Lottinghem and entrained to Caestre where they intended to complete 5 weeks training.
However, the following day they received orders to proceed to the Somme and at 8am the next morning they for Ebblinghem.

On the 26th they entrained at Arques and then marched to Thievres and then conveyed to Franvillers by motor lorry. They then proceeded by road to the village of Heilly and moved forward adopting a defensive position in advance of the Sailly-le-Sec-Mericourt l'Abbe Road.

On the 29th of March, with steady rain and a bleak wind prevailing, Rupert and a strong fighting patrol were sent to push forward and it was during this advance that Rupert suffered multiple Gun Shot Wounds to his ribs and torso and was admitted into the 11th Australian Field Ambulance.
The following day he was transferred to the 3rd Canadian Stationary Hospital in Camiers and then onto the 4th General Hospital.
On the 3rd of April he was evacuated to England on board HT Scotia and admitted into the 1st London General Hospital in Camberwell.

He was operated on to remove the 7 pieces of shrapnel and then transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford the following day.
Three days later Rupert was discharged and granted 2 weeks furlough before reporting to No.4 Command Deport in Hurdcott on the 27th of April.
On the 6th of May he was posted to the Overseas Training Battalion in Longbridge Deverill and after 4 weeks here he proceeded to France on the 5th of June and marched into the AIBD (Australian Infantry Base Depot) in Le Havre.

Rupert then rejoined his Battalion on the 18th of June, who was in the reserve trenches at Villers-Bretonneux and then four days later they moved into the support line at Boisl'Abbe
Rupert would always remember the night of the 25th of June as from 7 till 11 p.m. a heavy concentration of mustard gas was fired by all calibres up to 8 in. on the sector from Cachy to the northern end of the Bois l'Abbe. At 3 a.m. this was repeated, remaining intense up till 6 a.m., and was followed by intermittent fire until late in the afternoon.

The whole area was thoroughly saturated with the volatile liquid, which during the day, vaporised by the warmth of the sun and although gas masks were utilised to their fullest extent a very high percentage of casualties resulted. It was estimated that about 15,000 shells fell on the Brigade sector during these two heavy bombardments.

Then on the 28th of June they moved to Cardonette before marching 8 miles to Hill 86 where they carried out extensive training with tanks for their next battle.
On the 2nd of July they marched to L’Hallue Valley, near Bussy and then moved forward and relieved the 51st Battalion in the front line in the Hamel sector.

At 3:02am on the 4th of July, light harassing fire was opened, with the object of assisting the aircraft in drowning the noise of approaching tanks. Then 8 minutes later an intense barrage fire opened, under cover of which the attack on the village of Hamel commenced.
On their right trouble was soon encountered from a strong position known as "Pear Trench" and they came under severe machine gun fire.

Rupert suffered a Gun Shot Wound to his left ankle and buttock and was admitted into the 4th Australian Field Ambulance and then transferred to the 47th Casualty Clearing Station at Crouy.
The following day he was evacuated by Ambulance Train and admitted into the 10th General Hospital in Rouen.
Two days later he was evacuated to England on board HT Aberdonian and admitted into the Fulham Military Hospital in Hammersmith.

Rupert spent 4 weeks here before being discharged to the 14.8.18 – to 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Harefield on the 14th of August.
He spent a week here before being discharged to No.3 Command Depot in Hurdcott on the 21st of August where he was classified Classed B1A1 (Fit for light duty only - 4 weeks).
Then on the 7th of September he was posted to No.1 Command Depot in Sutton Veny.

Rupert never went back to France and embarked for Australia on the 15th of January 1919 on board HMAT City of Exeter.

He disembarked in Adelaide on the 28th of February and discharged from the AIF on the 30th of March 1919 and awarded the British War & Victory Medals.

WW2

At the age of 44, Rupert enlisted into the VDC (Volunteer Defence Corps) on the 15th of April 1942 in Adelaide, SA and was allotted the service number S70101 and posted to B Company, 3rd Battalion (Unley).
He listed his wife, of 21 Katherine Street, Fullarton Estate, as his next of kin.

On the 14th of December 1943 he was transferred to the 507 Aust Hy SL Troop (Search Light) (Adelaide Fortress) and then on the 18th of September 1944 he was transferred to the 704 LAA Troop (Light Anti Aircraft).
Rupert was discharged from service on the 21st of October 1944 as he was unable to attend parades.