Military Medal : Trooper F P Greet, 2 Field Artillery Brigade, AIF Accession Number: REL32558

Description

Military Medal (Geo V). Impressed around edge with recipient's details.

Contextual Description

1284 Corporal Francis 'Frank' Patrick Greet was born in Melbourne in 1895. He served with his local cadet unit from the age of ten and enlisted for service with the AIF on 17 August 1914. He was assigned to 2 Field Artillery Brigade. Greet was awarded the Military Medal for courageous action at Pozieres, France, between 22 and 25 July 1916. The recommendation for his award reads, 'During the operations on 22 July and until the night of the 25th a forward observation post was established at Pozieres with the 2nd Battalion. In this party was 2/Lieut. W. Graham, and Gunners F.P. Greet and A.J. Mudd as telephonists. The way these two telephonists worked has been reported from three sources, namely Lieut.Col. Stevens, O.C. 2nd Battn, Lieut. Dowsett 102nd Battery and 2.Lieut Graham. This was maintained by the very plucky action of the telephonists above referred to. They maintained communication by remaining out in the ground between our old front line to the former front German line. Here the enemy had established a barrage line of 5.9's and 4.2's [types of field gun] and the telephone lines ran across this strip of country. These two gunners remained in shell craters and whenever the line was broken went out into the open and repaired the line and then returned to a shell crater until the line was again broken, they would then immediately move out and repair the break, and it is wholly due to these two men that communication was maintained with the advancing Infantry and I am under the impression that this line was the only line maintained on the night of 22/23rd July up to about midday, and the whole of information regarding our forward movements was transmitted. I consider that the courageous action of 2/Lieut. W Graham and his two telephonists under such trying circumstances is worthy of the most favourable consideration.' Frank Greet was killed at Polygon Wood in Belgium on 30 August 1917. He was buried at the Reninghelst New Military Cemetery.

Details

People

• Corporal Francis Patrick Greet

Conflicts

• First World War, 1914-1918

Places

• Pozieres

Events

• Western Front