GROVE, Cecil and William

Cecil and William were two of seven children born to George and Emily Grove of Inverell. Cecil was an eighteen year old Station Hand when he enlisted in 1915. His elder brother William was a grazier when, at the age of twenty four, he enlisted in February 1916.

Cecil joined the 12th Light Horse Regiment, B Squadron, and left Australia on HMAT A29 Suevic in June 1915. In 1916 he was transferred to the 12th Light Horse at Maadi and the following year to 4th Machine Gun Squadron. He fought at Gallipoli and Moascar. Private Cecil Harcourt Grove was killed in action on 10 November 1917 and has no known grave. His name is commemorated at the Jerusalem Memorial, Palestine.

William left Australia with the 53rd Battalion, 2 Reinforcements on the HMAT A40 Ceramic in April 1916. He was in Egypt for a few months before being sent to France. His Service Records show that he was appointed Lance Corporal in March 1918 and the following month 'congratulated for gallant services rendered during recent operations.' In November 1918 he was reported wounded and missing, however it was another four months before it was confirmed that he had been Killed in Action. The name of Lance Corporal William John Grove is on the Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France.

Cecil and William Grove have their names engraved on the Ross Hill Public School Honor Roll, the Inverell Cenotaph and were among the 215 men for whom a memorial Kurrajong tree was planted at Inverell in 1919.

A cousin Lieutenant Leander Grove was Killed in Action 3 September 1916 in France. Two uncles also served during World War 1.