Grady, Arthur William
7747 Private Arthur William Grady - 51st Battalion AIF
Arthur William Grady was born in Fremantle WA on the 20th May 1901 to John and Agnes Grady. He was one of seven siblings, with, Agnes 1896, Lilly 1899, Lionel 1903, Alice 1905, Garfield 1906 and Cecil 1908. The family lived in King Street East Fremantle before moving to 24 Alexander Road South Fremantle circa 1910. They family then moved down the road a bit to 11 Alexander Road. (Later renamed Wray Avenue)
Arthur was initially educated in East Fremantle before continuing his schooling at Fremantle Boys School. He was a member of the Royal Australian Navy Cadets during is school years.
Arthur was only 16 years old when he enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force in May 1917 though stated that he was 18 years and six months old. Perhaps due to being underage, and not being known there Arthur went to Bunbury to enlist. He also stated his sister Thelma was his next of Kin, not his parents. He stated that his mother had died three years ago and that his father was away at sea.
The medical examiner passed Arthur as fit for service and recorded his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 10 inches tall;
Weight - 140lbs;
Chest Measurement - 32-34 inches;
Complexion - Fair;
Eyes - Brown;
Hair - Auburn.
After his successful enlistment, Arthur was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was initially assigned to the Depot training group. He was taken through the basics of infantry work at this facility. On the 21st June 1917 he was then transferred into the 26th Reinforcements to the 16th Battalion AIF.
Arthur trained with this group in WA for the next several weeks but when they received their orders to embark they boarded a ship in Fremantle Harbour which took them to Sydney. They then boarded the HMAT Medic and set sail for Canada via the United States.
The ship reached Halifax Nova Scotia Canada on the 21st September 1917 and the men were then transferred to another ship called the SS Orita. This ship then brought Arthur and his group to England, where they reached Liverpool on the 3rd October 1917.
After being disembarked the men were then sent to the 4th Training Battalion at Codford Camp. He trained there for a month, then on the 3rd November 1917 Arthur was transferred to the 13th Training Battalion. Arthur had another seven weeks there before being transferred to the 12th training Battalion on the 18th December 1917.
On the 5th January 1918 Arthur was transferred to the 4th Division Signal School at Codford Camp. Arthur remained at Codford through to 23rd April 1918 when he departed for France. After a few days at the Base Depot Camp at Etaples Arthur was taken on strength of the 51st Battalion on the 1st May 1918.
The 51st Battalion had just come through the successful Villers-Bretonneux action so were low on numbers. On the 15th May 1918 Arthur was sent to hospital with venereal disease. Fortunately it was not a severe case and he was back with the 51st Battalion on the 3rd June 1918.
The 51st Battalion were in the Villers-Bretonneux sector from June to 8th August 1918. The large advance on the Villers Bretonneux front then commenced which broke through the German lines.
The 51st Battalion were sent north of the Somme River and advanced to Bray. They were then relieved and rejoined the 4th Division south of the Somme River. They were then in action till September 18th 1918 when they fought their last action of the war at Le Verguier. The 51st Battalion were then pulled out of the line for a well deserved rest.
They were about to return to the front line when the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918.
When the Germans withdrew to behind their own borders, the Australians were sent into what had been German occupied parts of Belgium and France. Arthur served with the 51st Battalion through to the 8th April 1919. He was then given a month's leave which he decided to spend in Rome.
Arthur then returned to the 51st battalion on the 3rd May 1919. The AIF in France and Belgium was now winding up and the remaining men were being returned to England. On the 10th May 1919 the 51st Battalion disbanded and the men sent to the base depot at Le Havre. Arthur spent ten more days there and then was sent to England on the 20th May 1919.
On his return to England Arthur was sent to No.4 Command Depot Camp at Hurdcott. He remained here for several weeks while waiting to be assigned a berth on a troopship home. On the 12th July 1919 Arthur boarded the transport ship City of Exeter and set sail for home, arriving at Fremantle on the 16th August 1919.
Arthur was discharged from the AIF on the 16th September 1919.
Arthur then returned home in what would have been a sad homecoming as his Father had died on the 28th June 1918 in Fremantle.
Arthur took up carpentry on his return from the war, and also a love of motor bikes perhaps due to his work as a signaller during the war which also would have meant riding a motorbike taking despatches between various headquarters.
Arthur hit the headlines in the 1920's due to his motor bike ride around Australia.
Arthur Grady was the first man to ride a motor cycle around Australia. The five and a half month, 10,000 mile journey took Grady north from Fremantle across the trackless outback. He averaged 10.5 miles per hour, 78 miles per gallon of fuel and 1100 miles per gallon of oil.
At one stage during the momentous journey Grady was bogged for three days and then lost for another two before finally finding the way to continue. There were many newspaper articles of this time which can be viewed on the National Australia Website Trove. However one article from the Sun newspaper Kalgoorlie in March 1925;
As stated above, amazingly, he never lost a tyre or had a puncture. He arrived at the Fremantle Town Hall to a hero’s reception on 14 March 1925. (photo below) An account of Arthur's journey across Australia (edited by Murray Barnard) is held at the National Library of Australia; ARTHUR GRADY : 100th Anniversary of the Circumnavigation of Australia by Motorcycle.
Arthur set up Grady's Cycle Shop (agent for Kookaburra cycles) at 37 Market Street when he returned to Fremantle from a United States promotional tour. He also undertook further motorcycle journeys through Australia in the 1920's as well as heading to South Africa for business and further riding opportunities.
On the 10th May 1928, the Fremantle Advocate published the following;
In the 1920's the Grady family were living at 186 South Terrace Fremantle (later renumbered to 160 South Tce)
In the 1930's, when he wasn't away overseas or in the North West of WA, Arthur lived with his mother and siblings at 26 Irwin st East Fremantle. His mother died on 30th January 1934 at 26 Irwin St East Fremantle.
Arthur married Ada Florence Lake in 1937 and they had two children, Arthur in 1939 and Ernest 1941. The family moved to Canning Road in Melville where Arthur also had his motor cycling and bike shop.
Arthur offered his services to the Royal Australian Air Force in World War Two. Though he had been too young for the Great War and had to falsify his age, he was only 38 years old when World War Two commenced and still in his prime. He Served in the Royal Australian Navy Reserve from 1939 to 1941 in WA and then enlisted in Melbourne in 1942 and was accepted for the Royal Australian Air Force, partly due to his having an "A" Class Civil pilots License. Arthur held the rank of Pilot Officer and then Flying Officer.
He was Adjutant at No.5 Squadron RAAF from 1942-43 and during this time this Squadron was based at Toowoomba Queensland and then Kingaroy. In 1943 he was then transferred to No.9 Squadron RAAF with whom he served from 1943 to 1944. During his time with 9 Squadron there were based in Bowen Queensland.
Arthur was discharged in May 1944 at own request so he could return to run his business. His commanding officer at 5 Squadron had stated of Arthur that;
"This officer's tact and ability enables him to discharge his duties fearlessly and faithfully and at the same time retain his popularity.
So in May 1944 Arthur returned to his family at 418 Canning Highway Melville and resumed his career as a motor cycle trader and manufacturer. During this time Arthur still had his shop at 37 Market Street Fremantle.
Arthur lived at 418 Canning Highway through to the 1980's. His wife Ada died on the 9th May 1985 and Arthur followed her the following year, dying on the 3rd March 1986. Arthur was cremated at Fremantle Cemetery.