GREHAN, Frank Albert

Frank Grehan's story is one of the oddest accounts of a volunteer soldier in the Great War. Born in Stawell on 24 August, 1889, he had joined the British Imperial Navy on 24/8/1907, on his eighteenth birthday, serving as a 'Boy First Class'  on board HMS Psyche. He remained in the Imperial Navy for six years, leaving in 1913. When he enlisted for the First World War on 17 August, 1914, he was twenty-five, single and working as a Conductor in the railways. He gave as his next of kin his mother, Mrs. Edith Maria Grehan, who was then living at 53 Berry Street, East Melbourne. Frank Grehan lived C% Mrs. Cullen at 'Windygap', ormond Esplanade, Elsternwick. 

He was one of the first group of volunteers from Melbourne and just two months later, on 21 October, sailed in the first convoy from Melbourne on board HMAT Orvieto A3, stopping at Albany, Western Australia to join the other ships of the fleet, before heading off to Egypt on 1 November. The Orvieto was the largest ship fo the fleeet, carrying 1,457 men and women to Egypt. Stopping at Columbo, Aden, Suez, Frank Grehan, along with the rest of the 5th  Battalion, disembarked at Port Said on 1 December, 1914, to commence battle training.

Four months later he was discharged from the army and sent back to Melbourne on board HT Malaja on 5 March, 1915, without ever having been in battle. The reasons are set out in a report form his commanding officer:

The above mentioned private has no record in his field conduct sheet but his platoon commander and platoon sergeant report him as a dangerous man who is always openly dissatisfied with the conditions of the service, thus having a very detrimental effect on the minds of his platoon. He is slack in the performance of his duties, in my opinion, though sullenness and is generally a "shirker", though careful never to give an opportunity to be ----------- (word indecipiherable). John Walter, Captain.

The other report, from Lieutenant Colonel D.L. Walker said I have no knowledge of this man but form all accounts he is in the class of men who drag down efficiency. I commend his discharge.

Frank Grehan's return to Australia was approved and he arrived back in Melbourne on 12 April, 1915. Strangely enough, in the immediate post-war peiod, he wasgiven the three war medals, the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the 1914-18 Star. He also had a brother, Claude Frederick Grehan, 2145, who enlisted on 5 July, 1915, just after Frank Grehan returned to Australia. Claude Grehan was promoted to Sergeant on 11 January, 1916, and later to Company Segeant Major. He was wounded twice, served out the war and was returned to Australia in 1919.

Frank Grehan was married in 1918 to Alice Lilian Kraefft and had at least one child, Hazel Frances Grehan. He continued to work as a railway employee and died at Campbellfield, Victoria  in 1953, aged sixty-four.