GREALIS, Frank Clifford

DIVISIONAL UNIT:        3rd Canadian Infantry Division
                                             9th Infantry Brigade
                                             58th Battalion - Central Ontario
                                             Canadian Infantry Corps
SERVICE NO:                   654604
RESIDENCE:                    Clinton – Ontario 
DATE OF BIRTH:            January 21, 1898
                                             Stapleton - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH:           August 27. 1918                   20 years     7 months
MEMORIAL:                    Vimy Memorial – Vimy –
              Pas de Calais – France.
PARENTS:                         Mr. Edward and Margaret Grealis – Clinton – Ontario
Occupation:                        Labourer.                              Religion:     Baptist.
Enlistment:                         Clinton – March 21, 1916 into the 161st Huron Battalion
Enlistment Age:                 18 years     3 months
 
Private Grealis arrived in England with his comrades on November 11, 1916 and then transferred to the 58th Battalion and left for France arriving at the Canadian Base Depot on December 1, 1916. He then leaves for the 3rd Canadian Engineers and joins his unit already in the field on January 4, 1917.
Private Grealis receives wounds to his face and shoulder and is admitted to No. 13 Stationary Hospital on April 16, 1917. He is invalided wounded back to England on the Hospital Ship Jan Brydel that same day and a day later is admitted to Stoke-on-Trent War Hospital on April 17th. He then is taken to Princess Patricia Canadian Red Cross Special Hospital at Ramsgate in Kent and is discharged on May 22, 1917. He departs for his unit in France and arrives at the lines on November 1, 1917. 
Private Grealis was manning a machine-gun during an attack at Bois-du-Bart when he was caught by enemy machine-gun fire and was killed in action. His Battalion had very nearly reached their objective when he lost his life.
Orders were received at 1 am to advance forward with zero hour being 4:55 am. The men had left Orange Hill at 2:15 am and had to trek 4 miles to the assembly point in the dark over unknown ground and then attack over territory never before seen.
 “A” Company was to lead the assault, capture all defences west of Bois du Sart. “D” Company was to do their push from the left with “C” Company pushing from the right. Both were to clear out the wood. “B” Company was in support.
At zero hour, the attack began with artillery support and very quickly heavy fighting was going on in the wood. “D” & “C” Companies had pushed through with some entering Hatchet Wood.
The weather was dull and cool most of the day with some bright intervals but mostly rain.
The 7 am patrols were forced in from Hatchet Wood and at the same time the enemy had forced his way into Bois du Sart but by 7:30 am the Battalion had control of the whole wood.
“D” Company had suffered terribly and there was heavy enemy machine gun fire coming from Pelves and they then shelled the wood with gas.
One Company of the 49th Battalion relieved part of “A” Company and protected the left flank. They also formed a line and gave protection to the 58th.
Battalion casualties were 30 killed, 104 wounded and 7 missing