Ossie Maxwell Joffre GRANT - WW2 war service

Continuing on from my earlier post on the 6 March 2017 about 

Ossie Maxwell Joffre GRANT (1915 - 2000)

Ossie's mother Jessie Anna HULME died when he was 3 years old.

His paternal Aunt, Ethel Grace GRANT helped his father Walter raise him. She died in 1939.

Ossie joined the Citizen Air Force in March 1941 at the age of 26 years.

He enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force at Armadale, Melbourne on 17 September 1942 as a trainee radio operator.  

On enlistment, his employment was given as a factory manager for R. B. Shankey Pty Ltd of Bourke Street for whom he had worked for 8 years.

National Archives Australia - NAA: series no. A9301 control symbol 118601

Next of kin was his father Walter, address 11 Moodie Street, Carnegie.

Ossie used a reference given by P. Langford, Headmaster of Dandenong High School dated 16 December 1932.

He was first posted to No. 1 Recruit Depot at Shepparton, Victoria where he passed the radio operators course.  

His next postings were to:
No. 1 radio school at Richmond 2 October 1942
No. 1 Embarkation Depot at Ascot Vale 7 November 1942
No. 55 Operational Base Unit at Birdum NT 14 December 1942 

On the 25 January Ossie was promoted to Radar Operator.

He was then posted to:
No. 39 Radar Station at Port Keats NT 30 January 1943
No. 44 Radar Wing at Adelaide River NT 20 March 1943

Ossie was promoted to Leading Aircraftman (LAC) on 25 April 1943.

later postings were:
No. 1 Personnel Depot at Ransford 31 July 1944
No. 14 Radar Station at Wilson's Promontory 11 September 1944
No. 1 SD at Port Melbourne 12 October 1944
No. 1 Personnel Depot at Ransford 6 January 1945
No. 1 Reserve Personnel Pool at Townsville 30 January 1945
No. 331 Radar Station Tami Island New Guinea 28 March 1945
ADHQ at Madang 29 November 1945
No. 1 Reserve Personnel Pool at Townsville 6 January 1946
No. 1 Personnel Depot at Ransford 7 January 1946

No. 1 Reserve Personnel Pool was disbanded on 15 April 1946. Over the life of the unit a total of 133,606 personnel were moved though the unit, 66,804 personnel coming into the unit and the same number leaving the unit. - ozatwar.com

Ossie became ill several times during his service but the nature of his ailments wasn't recorded in his file.

He was in the 52 Operational Base Unit SSQ in Darwin from the 17th to the 24th of October 1943.
Then at the Fighter Sector Headquarters SSQ in Darwin from the 6th to the 20th of December 1943.
Final sick days were at 119 hospital Madang area from 29 May 1945 to 8 June 1945

Ossie was discharged on demobilisation on the 9th of February 1946.
His father Walter died in 1947.

From 1954 until his death in 2000 Ossie lived at 8 Haslemere Avenue, Mitcham.
He was more generally known as Max and devoted many years of service to the Mitcham Repertory Company.

Ossie Maxwell Joffre GRANT (1915 - 2000)

Continuing on from my last blog post about Jessie Anna HULME I decided to do a search for her son Ossie Maxwell Joffre GRANT.  

Ossie's photo was amongst my maternal grandmother's photo collection.

He was born at Beechworth in Victoria on the 28th of March 1915, the only surviving child of Jessie Anna nee HULME and Walter Alfred GRANT. 

Sadly his mum passed away when he was only three and a half years old.

According to the Bulla cemetery burial records,  an infant was buried on the same day as Jessie.

Jessie died at the Women's Hospital in Carlton so I would say she died in or from complications of childbirth.

My first port of call was the wonderful Ryerson Index. 

I searched for a possible death notice and hit pay dirt.  

Upon request, copies of the notices were emailed to me. 

Ossie Maxwell Joffre GRANT known as Max was an interesting and very community minded man.

courtesy of Bulla cemetery burial records, online

Jessie Anna GRANT nee HULME Obituary

Jessie Anna HULME, was an older sister of my maternal great-grandmother Ada May HULME. 

Jessie died on the 21st of September, 1918 at the very young age of 38 years.

She was born at Oxley, North East Victoria, on the 28th of January 1880, the third daughter of Joseph HULME and Anna Dorothea nee BARTSH.

Jessie married Walter Alfred GRANT 

Wangaratta Chronicle 25 September 1918

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92112274

In my grandmother's photo album is a postcard photo of young Ossie Maxwell Joffre GRANT at 5 years of age.

I think from memory my great-grandmother was known as Auntie Top.

Jessie and Walter moved down to Melbourne, probably to be near the hospital.  After Jessie's death, going by information on the electoral roll entries, I think Walter was living with his sister, Ethel Grace GRANT.  Perhaps she looked after Ossie for him.