Private: 6807 Walter Harold GRONO.

19th BATTALION - 35th BATTALION AIF

Private: 6807 Walter Harold GRONO.

Born: 1895. Newtown via Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Birth Cert:5607/1897.

Married: 23rd April 1915. Sydney, New South Wales Australia. Marriage Cert:4329/1915.

Wife: Violet May Grono. nee: March. (1895-1970)

Died: 22nd August 1918. Killed in Action by Friendly Fire at Bray sur Somme, France.

Father: Jonathan Phillip Grono. (1870-1910)

Mother: Eliza Ellen Grono. nee: Marshall. (1847-1915)

INFORMATION

No.6807 Walter Harold GRONO was one of two brothers to serve during World War One. He was a married 21 year old Labourer from Erskineville in NSW when he enlisted in the AIF on the 4th of May 1917.

He embarked from Australia as a member of the 20th Reinforcements to the 19th Battalion, on board the HMAT (A16) ‘Port Melbourne’ that sailed from Sydney on the 16th of July 1917 and arrived at Liverpool in England on the 16th of September. On arrival the Reinforcements travelled by train to Salisbury Plain in the County of Wiltshire, and marched into the 5th Training-Battalion near the village of Rollestone.

Offence - on the 1st of November 1917 at Fovant he was charged with: “AWL from midnight 31/10/17 till 2:30 p.m. 2/11/17”. As punishment he was confined to camp for 4 days and had a total forfeiture of 5 days pay.

On the 23rd of January 1918 he deployed across to France, marching in to the Australian Infantry Base Depot at Rouelles. On the 26th he marched out to the front and was taken-on-strength by the 35th BATTALION (Newcastle’s Own) two days later. (The 35th Battalion War-Diary for the 28th of January recorded: “100 Reinforcements arrived. It was one of the best batches of men received both numerically and physically. They stated that they had been recruited by the Sportsman’s Union. We are hoping for valuable assistance to our sports teams”).

In late March of 1918 the 9th Infantry Brigade (comprising the 33rd, 34th, 35th, and 36th Infantry Battalions) was rushed south to ‘the Somme’, in response to a huge new German Offensive (known by the Germans as Operation Michael), and used as a mobile formation being thrown in to strengthen the line wherever needed. He was with the 35th Battalion for the “1ST BATTLE OF VILLERS-BRETONNEUX” on the 4th of April 1918, when the 9th Australian Brigade, and a few tired elements of the British 5th Army, was instrumental in stopping the German advance toward Amiens. Counter-Attacks by the 35th and 36th Battalion were crucial in halting the German attack.

He was with the Battalion on the 8th of August 1918 just east of the village of Hamel, for the start of ‘THE AUGUST OFFENSIVE”, again coming through unscathed.

His luck ran out on the 22nd of August 1918 when he was part of a Lewis-Gun team during the attack on ‘’BRAY-sur-SOMME’’. The 35th Battalion Routine-Orders for the 24th of August recorded him as ‘Missing’. The following Routine-Order on the 28th amended him to being ‘Wounded’, and an Inquiry later still amended his fate to ‘’KILLED-IN-ACTION’’.

(note - an entry in his ‘Red Cross Wounded and Missing File’ records that a British 18 pounder shell burst amongst the Lewis-Gun team, hitting four of the men. His service file contained a notation that he had been “buried 1200 yards west of Bray-sur-Somme - Map-Reference L.14.a.4.2’’, which according to a Trench-Map in the 35th Battalion War-Diary was also the site of a ‘Regimental Aid Post’, so he must have been carried there by the Stretcher-Bearers and subsequently died of wounds).

Unfortunately his Grave was never found by the Graves Services Unit, so he is currently recorded ‘among the missing’, with his name inscribed on the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux.

Villers-Bretonneux War Memorial.

(Bill Durant: October 2020)

23rd May 1919.

Informant: Lance Corporal: 6943 Patrick John PURCELL. C Company 35th Battalion. Private: 6807 Walter Harold GRONO. "Fairly short, medium build, fair complexion, inclined to go bald, clean shaven, had been a signaller previously. In front of Bray on August 22nd we were advancing to take Bray. He was No: 4 or No: 5 in my gun team. One of our own 18 Pounders burst short and hit 4 of our team. I did not see him again as I had to go on . I was wounded myself in the next stunt, so I did not get any more particulars.

On board H.T "Czaritza"

Family Information

Walter was a married 21 year old Labourer from Erskineville in NSW when he enlisted in the AIF. Walter served with the 34th Infantry Citizens Military Forces.

Military Records