PLEASE EXERCISE APPROPRIATE SOCIAL DISTANCING
We have many hundreds of veterans burial in the Cemetery and here are just a small few. As you walk around you will see other plaques erected as part of the 100 years since the First World War. You will also see Australian War Graves acknowledging former soldiers from a variety of conflicts.
We have marked the graves below with yellow ribbons to help you find you way around. All these graves are in the lower section, around the Shelter Shed.
Please take care on your walk as there is a lot of uneven ground and do not walk on graves.
1. Frederick GROOM Sec 4 1&2
If you face Wynnum Road and turn right – the Groom grave in next to the road about 30m from the Shelter.
Frederick was born in England and came to Australia aged nine with his family who seem to have been grocers at East Brisbane He was a Labourer living in Ayr when he enlisted. His age varies on documents; given as 30 years when he enlisted on 21 Sept 1914 but 35 years at his death less than a year later. He had previously had service in the Moreton Regiment. He left Melbourne on HMAT Ceramic (A40) in December 1914 and was killed in action on 9 or 10 May at Gallipoli. He has no known grave and is memorialised at Quinn’s Post Cemetery (Sp Mem 8).
2. Fred CARSON Sec 6 - 8
Fred is memorialised on his parent’s grave.
Frederick (born on 29 December 1890) was the son of John and Maryann. He was a farm labourer aged 25 when he departed Brisbane on the HMAT Boonah A36 on 21 October 1916 arriving in England in January of 1917 He went to France in early July 1917 and on 29 September 1917 was reported wounded and missing he was 2mths short of his 27th birthday. His death was confirmed 10 months later, in July of 1918. The exact location of his death is uncertain thought possibly Passchendaele or Polygon Wood. A letter from his sister on his army file shows the family’s continual search for information about the circumstances of Fred’s death.
3. George GRINYER 6 – 29
George is memorialised on his parents’ grave. His mother died in 1911 and father in October 1919. George was born on 22 May 1891 the eldest of Thomas and Jane Mary’s five children. He was a plumber from East Brisbane when he enlisted on 21 August 1915. He embarked on 3 January 1916 aboard HMAT A55 Kyarra from Brisbane. George died from wounds ‘in the field’ on the Western Front in France 25th November 1916. He was 25. He is buried in the Heilly-sur-Ancre Cemetery, Mericourt- L’Abby, France.
Move up the hill a little
4. Gregor McGregor Sec 7 97/8
Gregor is memorialised on his father’s grave. Also buried in this grave, but not acknowledged on the headstone are Gregor’s siblings; Malcolm who died on 22 March 1939 aged 56 years and Ellen who died on 13 August 1938 aged 54 years and their mother; Ellen Brisbane McGregor who died on 4 January 1940 aged 82 years.
Born in 1896 Gregor was a 19 year old stockman in Nanango when he enlisted on 23 September 1915. He embarked from Sydney on board HMAT A8 Argyllshire on 11 May 1916.
He was promoted to Corporal in November 1916 and gassed in August 1917. He recovered but was killed in Action 22 June 1918. He was 22 years old. Gregor is buried at Mont Huon Military Cemetery, Le Treport, Haute-Normandie, France.
The next grave is in the same row as Gregor but down towards the Shelter. An old Grave with lots of elements including a cross with Virgil Macgure’s name on it – on the right side as you face the Shelter.
5. Virgil Maguire Sec 6 74
Virgil is memorialised on the grave of Robert and Florence Crothers and two of their seven children; Henry (Harry) and Clutha. Virgil was the fiancé of their daughter Clara.
Virgil was a 21 year old telephone mechanic who had been in the militia when he enlisted in October 1915. He left Australia on 29th March 1916 on board HMAT A61 Kanowna from Sydney arriving in France in August 1916. He served in an ambulance unit and was killed in action on 27 September 1917 while stretcher bearing. He is buried in Belgian Battery Corner Cemetery. His army file documents his mothers long search of details of his death. His long service file has many letters from his grief stricken mother Mary Ann who died on 28 Sept 1929 aged 53.
Over a decade after the war Virgil’s fiancé Clara Crothers married her brother in law Laurence Scott Irvine after her sister Clutha death in 1929. Lawrence died in 1962 and Clara in 1971 together with her sister Bessie (Cavanagh d1978) they are buried at Hemmett Cemetery.
Keep walking towards the shed and you will find the next grave on the same side as the last. The grave is being restored.
6. James Edward HERBERT KIA WW1 4/69
James is memorialised on a simple cross laid by his young daughter Florence on the grave of his wife and parents.
Born on 4 June 1881, James, a commercial traveller for the firm Hoffnung and Co had previous service in the Morton Regiment. He enlisted on 1 May 1915. He left on 24 May 1915 from Brisbane on HMAT A11 Ascanius.
He served at Gallipoli, Pozieres (wounded and awarded MC) and Broodseinde Ridge (where he was again wounded). In 1918 he was wounded participating in the German Spring Offensive and died of these wounds on 17 April 1918. James is buried at Worloy Baillon Cemetery 20kms NE Amiens.
Before the war James married Amelia Mabel Preston at St Margaret’s Nerang in 1909. Their daughter Florence Emily (Florrie) was born in 1911. However, sadly Amelia died in 1912. Florrie was 4 years old when her father enlisted.
After James died, Florence, remained in Brisbane, growing up in Coorparoo with her widowed grandfather who had remarried and had 2 further children both younger than Florrie. In 1936 Flora married Ken Mossop of New Farm. Ken managed the sporting department in a Brisbane Department store and was an outstanding cricketer being in the Queensland Sheffield Shield Team for a number of years.
Little Florrie died aged 103 in 2014 leaving 4 children, 17 grandchildren and many great grandchildren.
The next grave is opposite this one.
7. Uvedale Edward Parry Ockden RTA – WW 4/69
Born in 1874 in Charleville. Eldest son of William (a Queensland Police Commissioner) and Gertrude. Uvedale was educated at Brisbane and Maryborough and Sydney Grammar Schools. Commissioned into Queensland Mounted Infantry in 1892. He was a complex character; Captain of Qld Cricket team 1896 but also pleaded guilty to assaulting a boy in a hotel in Ipswich and implicated in the death of aboriginal boy on Thursday Island. He spent time in the American west and Alaska.
He enlisted in WW1 aged 40 in 1914. A huge man by the standards of the day 6 foot 3½ inches tall, weighed 13 stone 2 pounds – 85kgs, he smuggled his dog “Red” on board. He served at Gallipoli. In Feb 1916 he was charged with drunkenness and conduct unbecoming – acquitted of the second change but admonished and stripped of seniority. He was subsequently injured and sent home medically unfit. He reenlisted in 1917 as Private and quickly promoted to Sergeant – hence to Staff Sergeant.
After the war he farmed near Chinchilla, married Auburn Hayes and had a daughter. Hence moved to Ninji and hence to Mowbray Tce East Brisbane. He died at 87 in 1961.
If you look up the hill, you will see a broken column – head up there.
8. Frank Crouch KIA 4/168
Frank is memorialised on an unusual grave with a column and rifle. The grave is a memorial to Frank and other family members. We have not been able to establish any burials in this grave. Frank’s parents are in a nearby (unmarked) grave and his young siblings mentioned on the grave died outside of Brisbane. The grave/memorial was seriously vandalised in late 2015 but was able to be restored through the generosity of participants in a GoFund campaign organised by FOBC.
Frank was born at Bulimba on 21 March, 1894, the first child to Edwin and Agnes Crouch. He had five younger siblings, two of whom died in infancy; Robert (died 27 May 1898, aged four months), and Edward John (died 27 July1899, aged five months).
Frank was a brass moulder when he enlisted in the AIF at age 21, on 17 June, 1915. He embarked for the Middle East in October 1915. He joined the 9th Battalion on 7 January 1916, at Tel-el-Kabir and was promoted to Lance Corporal. He sailed from Alexandria, Egypt towards the end of March 1916 and disembarked in Marseilles. Only a few days later, Frank Crouch was reported later as being in a passageway in the billet house when a shell entered the building and exploded. He was hit in the side, and was bound up by his mate John Ashmore, but died a few minutes later. Frank Crouch and his 25 comrades killed that day were the amongst the first AIF fatalities on the Western Front. Another 52,305 would be killed during the next two and one half years.
Just behind the Crouch grave is a flat stone with various family memorials including several veterans including:-
9. Allan Clegg RTA WW2 3/165
Born in 1911 Princess Street Bulimba enlisted aged 28 single clerk in Infantry 1940. He disembarked in Singapore in Feb 1942. In Sept 1945 was liberated from Changi and was back home the following month and discharged Dec 1945. Four months later Allan married Audrey Priestley, at Bulimba's Presbyterian Church. Allan died aged 91 in 2002 in Dalby.
If you turn to face the Shelter and then look over to your left you will see a area cleared of graves – there is a grave with a WW1 plaque.
10. Herbert Peter Phillips 1/128
An engineer aged 40 on enlistment. He was Chief Engineer at CSR. Herbert married Pauline Male in 1901 and the couple had 2 sons and one daughter.
He joined the 3rd Pioneers Battn Australian Engineers. Herbert served in France where he won the MM for maintaining roads and mule tracks whilst continually under fire. He also carried out dangerous recognizance.
For his devotion to duty he was also awarded the Distinguished Service Order and in 1918 the Croix de Guerre by the French – we think he is our most highly decorated soldier at Balmoral.
Herbert requested discharge in England where his wife joined him and the came home (at his own expense) via USA so that he could study the latest engineering practices. On his return he worked for the Metropolitan Water Board and the Lighthouse Service. Herbert died in 1931 aged 57.
He was remembered as a quiet reserved family orientated man with a great love of music.
He is buried in his wife’s family grave – John Male was an original trustee of the Balmoral Cemetery.
Turn around to face the central roadway and walk up there, the next grave is at the end of the row.
11.Margaret May Black WW2 women’s auxiliary air force buried with mother 1/247
Little is known about Margaret who is buried with her mother – they both died relatively young. Her army records are not available to the public but clearly this part of her life was very significant.
The Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) was formed in March 1941 after considerable lobbying by women keen to serve and by the Chief of the Air Staff, who wanted to release male personnel serving in Australia for service overseas. The WAAAF was the first and largest of the wartime Australian women's services. It was disbanded in December 1947.