The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (NGX10) Captain John Edward Grimson, Z Special Unit, Second World War.

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Gered Pratt, the story for this day was on (NGX10) Captain John Edward Grimson, Z Special Unit, Second World War.

NGX10 Captain John Edward Grimson, Z Special Unit
KIA 22 August 1944

Today we remember and pay tribute to Captain John Edward Grimson.

John Grimson and his twin brother Stanley were born to Robert and Louise Summers Grimson on 19 July 1908 in Armidale, New South Wales. The Grimson family lived for a time at Wherrol Flat, near Port Macquarie on the New South Wales mid-coast, but later moved to Neutral Bay in Sydney.
Robert Grimson died in 1933, when his sons John and Stanley were around 25 years old. John married Vera Hartmann on 4 January 1935 in Saint Barnabas’ Church in Brisbane.

The pair lived for some time in Hamilton, an affluent suburb in the inner north-east area of Brisbane, but by the time the Second World War had started, John and Stanley were involved in “native labour recruiting” in New Guinea. The two brothers enlisted for service on 20 January 1940 at Rabaul. In March the pair featured in newspapers, with a picture touting them as “the only twins in the Second AIF”, although later articles would acknowledge that at least four pairs of twins were serving at the time.

In April 1940, John Grimson joined the 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion at Ingleburn, and shortly afterwards embarked from Sydney for overseas service.

His unit was initially headed for the Middle East, but following the fall of France it was diverted to the United Kingdom where, along with a larger contingent of Australians, it helped to bolster the island's garrison, undertaking defensive duties when it was expected that the Germans might launch a cross-Channel invasion.

After the threat of invasion had passed, the battalion was transferred to the Middle East in late 1940. It underwent further training in Egypt, before taking part in fighting against the Germans in Greece and on Crete in mid-1941. Having lost most of its equipment, and suffering heavy casualties, the 2/1st was rebuilt in Palestine before undertaking garrison duties in Syria. The battalion was withdrawn to Australia as a result of Japan's entry into the war in December 1941.

Back in Australia, Grimson was transferred to Z Special Unit in May 1942. Z Special Unit had been formed to operate behind Japanese lines in south-east Asia. Although predominantly Australian, the specialist reconnaissance and sabotage unit included British, Dutch, New Zealand, Timorese and Indonesian members. Best known for its operations on Borneo and the islands of the former Netherlands East Indies, Z Special Unit also operated in Timor.

The unit carried out covert operations, with parties inserted by parachute or submarine to provide intelligence and conduct guerrilla warfare, which naturally led to secrecy about their actions.

Having been granted a commission in July, in November 1942, Lieutenant Grimson left for his first operations with this new unit in November, returning in February the following year.

In July 1943 he undertook operations in Port Moresby before being promoted to temporary captain in September. The following months he was hospitalised suffering from hookworm and then enteritis. After returning to Australia in the early day of 1944, his appointment to captain was made substantive.

John’s brother Stanley was Mentioned in Dispatches for exceptional service in the field in New Guinea around this time. Stanley was serving with 1 Water Transport Group.
John continued to undertake operations with Z Special Unit, regularly making trips to and from New Guinea.

On 20 August, Captain John Grimson, Sergeant Ernest Gregg, and three Portuguese Timorese set off from Melville Island. After enduring the 500-kilometre trip to Timor, the group was dropped near the north-eastern tip of Timor. As part of Operation Adder, they would obtain intelligence on Japanese activity in the area, in particular, on an enemy airfield believed to be under construction.

Unfortunately Japanese intelligence knew of the operation and the team are believed to have been ambushed. Sergeant Gregg and one of the Timorese were reportedly killed during the initial ambush. John Grimson was initially posted as missing on 21 August 1944. He was later reported as having died of wounds on 22 August, and was finally declared killed in action.

Conflicting accounts of his death were given. While there were Japanese statements that Grimon and Gregg died in an ambush on the morning that they entered Timor, intelligence information stated that Grimson and Gregg were wounded on 22 August, and were captured and died as prisoners of war at a later date.

Grimson’s remains were reburied at Galala War Cemetery, Timor, in 1946, but today they lie at Ambon War Cemetery.
John Grimson was 36 years old.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, among almost 40,000 Australians who died while serving in the Second World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Captain John Edward Grimson, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Duncan Beard
Editor, Military History Section
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