29/04/2026
Second World War veteran Bill Grayden passes aged 105.
Bill Grayden was born in Western Australia in 1920, one of three children born to First World War veteran, Leonard Ives, who lost a lung at Gallipoli. Though young Bill would later take the surname of his stepfather, Charles Grayden.
He sought to enlist in 1939 but was rejected. After a first name and birth date change, Grayden was finally accepted into the Australian Imperial Force (a brother David soon followed him into the Army). Posted to the 2/16 Battalion (his father Leonard served with 1/16th), he attended officer training before serving in the Syrian Campaign as a platoon commander.
With the entry of Japan into the Second World War, the 7th Division, of which the 2/16th was a part, returned to Australia. His battalion, as part of the 21st Brigade under the command of Western Australia Brigadier Arnold Potts DSO OBE MC, took part in the legendary fighting withdrawal down the Kokoda Track.
Grayden took part in the bloody Buna-Gon a campaigns and was with the 2/16th for the battle of Shaggy Ridge, part of the Finisterre Ridge Campaign. Near the war's end, he fought at the Battle of Balikpapan and was demobbed as a Captain.
He was one of the last Australian Army infantry officers of the Second World War, and surely one of, if not, the last with service in the Middle East and South-West Pacific.
He was a 75-year member of the South Perth-Victoria Park RSL Sub-Branch.
He was elected to the State Parliament as the Member for Middle Swan, his maiden speech included reference to the plight of Aboriginal people and the concerns of his electorate. He did not mention his war service in any detail at all, except to get into a fiery spat with a former Minister over the matter of soldier preference. It was an unconventional occurrence for a Maiden speech.
He entered Federal Parliament in the famous class of 1949, recalling as a 99-year-old campaigning with Robert Menzies, and served as the Federal Member for Swan until 1954. He is also the last of the class of '49, which included two future Australian Prime Ministers.
He did not receive his service medals until early 1954, as the then Federal Member for Swan, he was anxious to have them in time for the Queen's visit.
He returned to State Parliament as the Member for South Perth from 1956-1993 and was a Cabinet Minister in Sir Charles Court's Government. He was regarded as something of a maverick and character, often quick to cross party lines.
He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours List of 1994.
He and his wife Betsy had ten children and numerous grand-children and great children.
