Robert Cuthbert Grieve
Encyclopedia
Robert Cuthbert Grieve VC
(19 June 1889 – 4 October 1957) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy", during the First World War. He was once thought to have been the great nephew of Sergeant-Major John Grieve
, also a Victoria Cross recipient, however this has since been disproven.
, a suburb of Melbourne
, to John and Annie Deas Grieve (née Brown), Grieve was educated at Caulfield Grammar School
and Wesley College
. He became an interstate commercial traveller in the softgoods trade.
After nine months service in the Victorian Rangers, he enlisted in the A.I.F.
as a private on 9 June 1915. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 37th Battalion (Victoria) in January 1916, was promoted to lieutenant in May 1916, and after training in England, was promoted to captain in France in February 1917.
In France he served at Armentières
, Bois-Grenier
, L'Epinette, Ploegsteert Wood
, Messines
, La Basse Ville, and Warneton
.
He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at Messines. The Digest of Citation reads:
Severely wounded in the shoulder by a sniper's bullet, Grieve was evacuated to England, and on recovery returned to his unit in October. However, due to subsequently suffering acute trench nephritis and double pneumonia, he was invalided to Australia in May 1918. On 7 August, at Scots Church, Sydney, he married Sister May Isabel Bowman of the Australian Army Nursing Service who had nursed him during his illness.
Post-war he held the rank of captain in the Militia
. He established the business of Grieve, Gardner & Co., softgoods warehousemen, in Flinders Lane, Melbourne, and was managing director until 4 October 1957 when he died of cardiac failure.
He was buried with military honours in Springvale cemetery. Grieve's medal was presented by his family to Wesley College
in 1959, and has been lent to the Shrine of Remembrance
, where it is on permanent display.
list Sergeant Major John Grieve
VC (Crimea, 1854) and Captain Robert Cuthbert Grieve (Belgium, 1917) as great uncle and great nephew. This connection was suggested by an article in The Times
on 29 May 1964. The article said John Grieve sent home £75 from the Crimea to Robert Grieve and that if Robert Grieve was his brother and also emigrated, then some relationship may be established between the Crimean VC and an Australian First World War VC, Robert Grieve. However, descendents of both Grieve families have been in contact with each other and have found that they are not great uncle and great nephew.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(19 June 1889 – 4 October 1957) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy", during the First World War. He was once thought to have been the great nephew of Sergeant-Major John Grieve
John Grieve (VC)
John Grieve VC was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, also a Victoria Cross recipient, however this has since been disproven.
Biography
Born in BrightonBrighton, Victoria
Brighton is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Brighton had a population of 20,651...
, a suburb of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, to John and Annie Deas Grieve (née Brown), Grieve was educated at Caulfield Grammar School
Caulfield Grammar School
Caulfield Grammar School is an independent, co-educational, Anglican, day and boarding school, located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1881 as a boys' school, Caulfield began admitting girls exactly one hundred years later...
and Wesley College
Wesley College, Melbourne
Wesley College, Melbourne is an independent, co-educational, Christian day school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1866, the college is a school of the Uniting Church in Australia. Wesley is the largest school in Australia by enrolment, with 3,511 students and 564 full-time staff...
. He became an interstate commercial traveller in the softgoods trade.
After nine months service in the Victorian Rangers, he enlisted in the A.I.F.
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
as a private on 9 June 1915. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 37th Battalion (Victoria) in January 1916, was promoted to lieutenant in May 1916, and after training in England, was promoted to captain in France in February 1917.
In France he served at Armentières
Armentières
Armentières is a commune in the Nord department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in northern France. It is part of the Urban Community of Lille Métropole, and lies on the Belgian border, northwest of the city of Lille, on the right bank of the river Lys....
, Bois-Grenier
Bois-Grenier
Bois-Grenier is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Located south of Armentieres and bordering with the department of Pas-de-Calais.-Heraldry:-References:*...
, L'Epinette, Ploegsteert Wood
Ploegsteert Wood
Ploegsteert Wood was a sector of the Western Front in Flanders in World War I, part of the Ypres Salient. After fighting in late 1914 and early 1915, it became a quiet sector where no major action took place...
, Messines
Battle of Messines
The Battle of Messines was a battle of the Western front of the First World War. It began on 7 June 1917 when the British Second Army under the command of General Herbert Plumer launched an offensive near the village of Mesen in West Flanders, Belgium...
, La Basse Ville, and Warneton
Warneton, Belgium
Warneton is part of the Belgian town of Comines-Warneton in Wallonia in the province of Hainaut...
.
He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at Messines. The Digest of Citation reads:
Severely wounded in the shoulder by a sniper's bullet, Grieve was evacuated to England, and on recovery returned to his unit in October. However, due to subsequently suffering acute trench nephritis and double pneumonia, he was invalided to Australia in May 1918. On 7 August, at Scots Church, Sydney, he married Sister May Isabel Bowman of the Australian Army Nursing Service who had nursed him during his illness.
Post-war he held the rank of captain in the Militia
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
. He established the business of Grieve, Gardner & Co., softgoods warehousemen, in Flinders Lane, Melbourne, and was managing director until 4 October 1957 when he died of cardiac failure.
He was buried with military honours in Springvale cemetery. Grieve's medal was presented by his family to Wesley College
Wesley College, Melbourne
Wesley College, Melbourne is an independent, co-educational, Christian day school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1866, the college is a school of the Uniting Church in Australia. Wesley is the largest school in Australia by enrolment, with 3,511 students and 564 full-time staff...
in 1959, and has been lent to the Shrine of Remembrance
Shrine of Remembrance
The Shrine of Remembrance, located in Kings Domain on St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Australia was built as a memorial to the men and women of Victoria who served in World War I and is now a memorial to all Australians who have served in war...
, where it is on permanent display.
Are John Grieve and Robert Grieve related?
A number of references including the 1997 edition of The Register of the Victoria CrossThe Register of the Victoria Cross
The Register of the Victoria Cross is a reference work that provides brief information on every Victoria Cross ever awarded: it provides a summary of the deed, along with a photograph of the awardee and the following details where applicable or available; rank, unit, other decorations, date of...
list Sergeant Major John Grieve
John Grieve
John Grieve may refer to:* John Grieve , Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross award for gallantry* John Grieve , Scottish actor*John Grieve , friend of Alexander Bald...
VC (Crimea, 1854) and Captain Robert Cuthbert Grieve (Belgium, 1917) as great uncle and great nephew. This connection was suggested by an article in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
on 29 May 1964. The article said John Grieve sent home £75 from the Crimea to Robert Grieve and that if Robert Grieve was his brother and also emigrated, then some relationship may be established between the Crimean VC and an Australian First World War VC, Robert Grieve. However, descendents of both Grieve families have been in contact with each other and have found that they are not great uncle and great nephew.