Sandgate RSL Sub Branch welcomes WWII veteran

WWII veteran Jim Grebert

By Renee McKeown

Enemy fire and an explosion buried a young Jim Grebert and his mates while defending their country during World War II. Their worldly possessions were blown meters in the air, and while he survived to tell this tale, there were many young ANZACs who were not as lucky.

Jim is one of the newest, and oldest members, of Sandgate RSL Sub Branch who has found mateship after moving to the area. At nearly 100 years of age, his memories of mates lost too soon span all the way back to the 1940s, with the 58th/59th battalion in Papua New Guinea and Bougainville, where he described the conditions as lousy.

“As we were coming down it looked beautiful in the valley, but there was grass six foot high, it was stinking hot and a lot of blokes died there,” Grebert says.

“I’ve been shot a few times, there was plenty of lead flying around. You could hear it, tumbling over and then a rush and they came in. You’d never know when you’d run into them (the enemy), patrols and that.

“One of the last blokes killed in the war was a good friend of mine. When I went to the memorial in Canberra I found it very upsetting, seeing the names of those I actually saw getting killed.”

Recently, the nonagenarian moved to Deagon to live with his daughter Susan and granddaughter Helen. There are often up to five generations under one roof as he has two children, four grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.

In his spare time, Grebert has found mateship and support with the team at the Sandgate RSL Sub Branch. Sub Branch Secretary Andrew Law says there has been a resurgence of members recently.

“On ANZAC Day we had a Defence person from almost every war or peace keeping mission since WWII,” he says.

“More than 100 people have joined, and most of them are younger. It is about camaraderie, care and commemoration, so they know there’s a place to go after the ADF.”

Since joining Sandgate RSL Sub Branch, the memories have flown back to Grebert, including that of his 21st birthday in New Guinea with the 58th/59th battalion Australian Imperial Forces.

“I had never felt so low in my whole life, it had been raining all week,” Grebert says.

“My brother had sent me a card, a bottle of whiskey and a cake. I got the cake, but they knocked the whiskey off, I never saw it.”

Although some of these memories were hard to talk of, Grebert and his family spoke of his positive outlook which had helped him cope, along with the camaraderie and support of his new mates.

His secret to reaching 99 was to simply “keep breathing” and enjoy the odd beer over the years.

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