George Graham

Family

George Graham's parents are named in the cemetery records as Andrew and Jennie Graham (AIF Project, n.d.). The Nation's article on Jenny Graham says she and Andy Graham had a son George, born at Redland Bay, and later lived at Brighton Parade, Southport (Yugambeh Nation, 2023). His service record places his mother at Brighton Parade too: in 1919 she wrote from Southport asking for "any personal effects of my Son, 6077. Lance Cpl. George Graham" (National Archives of Australia [NAA], 1914–1924, pp. 29, 40).

The State Library of Queensland describes him as "an oysterman from Nerang Creek" (Powel & Crump, 2017). His widow later recorded his calling as "Oyster Merchant" and his school as Southport Public School (Australian War Memorial [AWM], n.d.-b).

Enlisting

George enlisted on 20 May 1916, giving his trade as labourer and his age as 28 (NAA, 1914–1924, p. 1). He was older than that: his widow gave his age at death as 43, and the State Library of Queensland gives his birth year as 1876 (AWM, n.d.-b; Powel & Crump, 2017). He said he was married with one child, and named his wife, Emily Graham of Southport, as his next of kin (NAA, 1914–1924, p. 1).

The army described him as 5 feet 9 inches tall, with brown eyes and black hair (NAA, 1914–1924, p. 6). He sailed from Brisbane on 27 October 1916 with the 17th Reinforcements for the 26th Battalion, aboard HMAT A74 Marathon, and trained at Rollestone in England after landing at Plymouth in January 1917 (NAA, 1914–1924, p. 4).

On the Western Front

He crossed to France on 25 April 1917 and joined the 26th Battalion in the field on 2 May (NAA, 1914–1924, p. 4). That July he attended the Corps Bomb School (NAA, 1914–1924, p. 4). The State Library of Queensland records that he fought in the battles of Menin Road and Broodseinde in Belgium later that year (Powel & Crump, 2017).

On 7 November 1917, in Belgium, he was appointed lance corporal; on 16 January 1918 he returned to the ranks "at his own request" (NAA, 1914–1924, pp. 4–5). In February 1918 he had two weeks' leave in England (NAA, 1914–1924, p. 5).

Wounded near Villers-Bretonneux

On 7 July 1918, near Villers-Bretonneux, George was wounded by a shell (NAA, 1914–1924, p. 5; AWM, n.d.-b). He was treated by the 6th Australian Field Ambulance and taken to the 5th Casualty Clearing Station, where he died on 9 July 1918 of a shell wound to the thigh (NAA, 1914–1924, p. 27). He is buried at Crouy British Cemetery, north-west of Amiens, and his name is on panel 107 of the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial (AIF Project, n.d.; AWM, n.d.-a).

Remembered

His effects came home in a small parcel: an identity disc, a YMCA wallet, a notebook, photographs, a purse, a religious book, a religious medallion and letters (NAA, 1914–1924, p. 28). In 1921 Emily sent the army a verse for his headstone, but it was refused because the War Graves Commission allowed only 66 letters (NAA, 1914–1924, pp. 65, 67). The State Library of Queensland reports that the stone reads simply "For Australia" (Powel & Crump, 2017).

Graham Street in Southport is named in his honour, as part of the City of Gold Coast's Streets of Remembrance, which describes him as "a local Aboriginal man" (City of Gold Coast, n.d.).