David Edward Kitchener Granberg

David Edward Kitchener Granberg

Ancestry
Personal Information
Date of Birth	1 Oct 1916
Place of Birth	Armadale, Western Australia
Death	27 Jul 1968, aged 51
Place of Death	Carlisle, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	24 years, 1 month
Occupation	Brickmaker
Religion	Congregational
Address	Byford, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Mother , Mrs May Constance Granberg
Military Information
Reg Number	WX9666
Date of Enlistment	6 Dec 1940
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	2/16th Australian Infantry Battalion
Military Movement
1st Departure from Australia
Journey Dates	9 Jul 1941 ‒ 25 Jul 1941
Transport Details	HMT Aquitania Convoy US11A Fremantle to Port Tewfik
Return to Australia
Journey Dates	29 Jan 1942 ‒ 6 Feb 1942
Transport Details	SS Île de France Convoy JS3 Port Tewfik to Bombay
Journey Dates	9 Feb 1942 ‒ 18 Mar 1942
Transport Details	SS Kosciusko Convoy SU 1 Bombay to Adelaide
2nd Departure from Australia
Journey Dates	6 Aug 1942 ‒ 13 Aug 1942
Transport Details	SS James Fenimore Cooper Brisbane to Port Moresby
Return to Australia
Journey Dates	19 Oct 1942 ‒ 21 Oct 1942
Transport Details	HMT Taroona Port Moresby to Townsville
3rd Departure from Australia
Journey Dates	2 Aug 1943 ‒ 5 Aug 1943
Transport Details	SS Canberra Townsville to Port Moresby
Return to Australia
Journey Dates	15 Feb 44 ‒ 18 Feb 1944
Transport Details	SS Canberra Port Moresby to Townsvile
Post War Details
Fate	Returned to Australia Discharged on medical grounds
Medals	1939-45 Star Pacific Star Defence Medal War Medal 1939-45 Australian Service Medal 1939-45

War Service

Enlisted in Claremont, and on 22 Jan 1941 he was transferred to the No 1 Training Battalion at Northam. On 12 Feb 1941 this changed to the 13th Training Battalion as a member of the 5th reinforcement draft for the 2/16th Battalion. On 30 Apr 1941 he was granted pre-embarkation leave, and despite needing medical attention from 5 - 13 May 1941 he was still able to board HMT Aquitania on 5 Jul 1941 which was to form part of Convoy US 11A leaving Fremantle on 9 Jul 1941, sailing for Egypt via Ceylon. On 25 Jul 1941 they disembarked at Port Tewfik, and on 19 Sep 1941 David transferred from the 21st Australian Training Battalion to the 2/16th Australian Infantry Battalion which was in Lebanon as part of the garrison forces.

On 6 Dec 1941 David was evacuated to the 2/3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station with a broken jaw and facial lacerations, but returned to the battalion 2 days later. On 29 Jan 1942 he embarked as part of the battalion's 2nd Echelon on the SS Île de France for Australia, but at Bombay on 11 Feb 1942 he was transshipped to the Polish ship SS Kosciusko which as part of Convoy JS3 had been ordered by Churchill to divert to Burma. Guided by senior Australian Military figures Curtin insisted that they be returned to Australia and during the political stand off the convoy sailed north towards Burma before returning to Colombo to refuel and then head south to Fremantle, where they arrived on 18 Mar 1942. Destined to continue to Adelaide, David went AWOL in Fremantle from midnight 17 Mar until 12:10am on 21 Mar 1942. Fined £1 and forfeited four days pay. On 28 Mar 1942 he embarked on SS Monterey for Adelaide, disembarking on 31 Mar 1942.

The battalion was quickly relocated to Queensland to prepare for service in Papua New Guinea as there were very few Australian troops there at the time of the Japanese invasion. Enroute by train, David required hospital treatment from the 106th Australian General Hospital in Victoria from 4 until 21 Apr 1942, but was able to rejoin the battalion in Queensland on 29 May 1942. On 6 Aug 1942 they boarded the SS James Fenimore Cooper in Brisbane for Port Moresby where they disembarked on 13 Aug 1942. On 9 Sep 1942 David was evacuated to the 2/9th Australian General Hospital with Lumbosacral Fibrositis. On 19 Oct 1942 he was embarked on HMT Taroona acting as a Hospital ship for 6th Australian Casualty Clearing Station in northern Queensland, disembarking on 21 Oct 1942.

On 3 Dec 1942 David was transferred from the 2/2nd Australian General Hospital in Atherton to the 117th Australian General Hospital in Toowoomba, and on 29 Dec 1942 to the 102nd Australian Convalescent Depot, at Warwick southern Queensland. On 20 Jan 1943 he joined the 21st Australian Infantry Training Battalion. David was granted leave from 4 to 25 Feb 1943. Following further medical examination, on 15 Jun 1943 he was assessed as fit to carry out only light duties and was transferred to the District Accounts Office Queensland. Transferred again to the LHQ Gas School Nothing had improved by 5 Jul 1943 and he was admitted to the 1st Australian Orthopedic Hospital having been classified B2 two days earlier.

David had returned to the LHQ Gas School by 17 Aug 1943. On 15 Oct 1943 David began to be processed for discharge, and on 7 Nov 1943 he was granted 24 days leave, due to return on 1 Dec 1943. This was later extended without pay until 11 Dec 1943. Discharged on 2 Nov 1944 at Karrakatta, Western Australia.

Post War

Address on discharge was Seventh road, Armadale. In Feb 1949 he was working at the State Brickworks, Byford.