No. 43095, Private, George GRAINGER
Aged 25
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George Grainger was born in Brinkley in 1892 (Newmarket Q1-1892 3B:511) baptised Brinkley 27th March 1892, son of John and Ellen GRAINGER
(née SPARROW).
1901 census...Aged 9, he was at The Street, Brinkley with his father John GRAINGER [44] domestic gardener, born in Brinkley; his mother Ellen [40] born in Thurlow, and brother William [13] houseboy, born Brinkley and uncle Thomas GRAINGER [49] a house painter born Brinkley. 1911 census...Aged 19, a farm labourer, he was in Brinkley with his parents and Alfred EDWARDS [34] a gamekeeper born Meopham, Kent and his wife Emma [30] born Brinkley and their son Arthur John [6] born Horsham. Alfred is recorded as "relative" but the relationship is not known. The pension card records his mother as "Near the Post Office", Brinkley |
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Enlisted in Newmarket. 17th February 1917 was a black day for the 6th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment. They were the right hand assault battalion at Boom Ravine, near Miraumont, with the 11th Royal Fusiliers on their left. Whilst forming up before dawn, the two battalions were bombarded by German artillery and suffered many casualties. When the assault commenced the German barbed wire was found to be largely uncut and the attacking companies were forced into gaps in the wire where machine-guns found many easy targets. 108 men were killed, 2 are buried in Aveluy, 47 in Regina Trench and 59 have no known grave and are named on the Thiepval Memorial |
George found in the yellow square by Canadian working party in 1919 and re-interred in Regina Trench photo: Rodney Gibson photo: Rodney Gibson
Be aware that reaching the cemetery from Grandcourt is extremely difficult and it is difficult even from Courcelette (dry weather only)
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details