Frank Griffin
Lance Corporal PLY/1800(S) (Plymouth Battalion?)
Royal Marine Light Infantry

Division 38

Frank Griffin was the son of Cornelius and Annie Griffin, of 53, Mount Pleasant, Reading; and husband of Ethel Annie Griffin, of 45 Highgrove Street, Reading.  Frank Griffin died leaving a small daughter called Doris.  He is commemorated on the kerbs of the family grave. Frank was killed in action on 26^th October 1917, aged 32. 

 The 26^th October 1917 was the first day of what came to be known as the Second Battle of Passchendaele.   On this day the British and their allies improved their positions from Passchendaele to Poelcapelle.   Matrix tells us that the attack began at 5.40am.  On either side of the Menin road the British 7^th and 5^th Divisions were frustrated by marshes.  The Australians and Canadians took their objectives moving off in a mist that became a heavy rain as the day progressed.  The Canadians had 70% casualties.  Poelcapelle means church in the bog and it was in a bog that the British fought.  Several days later New Zealand troops came upon the remains of the Northumberland Fusiliers and Durham Light infantry lying in rows where they had been mown down by German machine guns as they had made their advance on the first day of the battle.

 Frank Griffin is buried in Poelcapelle British Cemetery. Location XVI. F. 10 

This cemetery was made after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from other cemeteries and from the battlefields.  The great majority of the dead fell in the last five months of 1917, particularly the month of October.

The 1911 census shows us that Frank, now aged 26, was as yet unmarried. He was living wth his parents and other brothers at 3 Mount Pleasant, Silver Street. His father and olderbrother Henry worked at the biscuit factory, Frank and his younger brother Edward were house painters and his brother Ernest was a butcher. Another brother, Albert was not living at home.

William Frederick Grant
Private 48278
8^th Battalion  Devonshire Regt.

 Division 69
Extension

William Frederick Grant was the son of  William and Lucy Mary Grant.  He is remembered on of his parents grave.  The inscription states “Fell in Action.”  He was 26.  William Grant has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial Panel 38-40.  He died on 4^th October 1917, in action which was officially part of the 2^nd phase of the 3^rd Battle of Ypres which had started on the 15^th September.  For the men involved in the offensive which began along an eight mile front on the morning of 4^th October it became known as “Passchendaele“.

 The preparations for the battle had taken place in fine weather but on the 2^nd October it started to rain and the rain continued until the end of the month.  The land of Flanders, with its high water table and dykes, became a quagmire and it was virtually impossible to move the guns forward to support the troops.  On the 3^rd October the Germans were preparing to attack from their front line above Zonnebeke facing Polygon Wood.  They sent over a severe early morning bombardment.  The British and Australians secretly massing opposite  them were also preparing to go.  The German barrage killed many men but those unharmed kept their nerve.  Just as the Germans sprang their attack a British barrage began and the Australians charged the German line.  The Germans were taken by surprise and those who could fled, there was fierce hand to hand fighting and many prisoners were taken.  The next day William Grant was in the attack north-east of Polygon Wood.  The 8^th Devonshire regiment which was fighting along side the Australians reached their objectives but William Grant was killed in action.  The battle was to rage on until the 15^th November 1917, through mud and rain and worse, against pill boxes and machine guns until the ridge was finally captured.  The total losses (killed, wounded, missing or made prisoner) amounted to 244.897 British; 8,525 French and approximately 230,000 German. (Martin Marix Evans – Passchendaele 1997)

The 1901 census indicates that William wasthe eldest of six children, he had one brother and four sisters. The children were all of school age. William’s father after whom William was named is described as a Journeyman Butcher, this means that he had completed an apprenticeship and was qualified in his trade; he had been born in Ireland.  Lucy was born in Thatcham and all the children in Reading. The family were living in the Katesgrove district of Reading at 83 Mount Street. By 1911 the family had grownto eight children with five girls and three boys. The three eldest including William were all working at the biscuit factory. William’s father occupation was given as a bacon butcher.

William Frederick Grant was probably commemorated on a Huntley and Palmers War Memorial. However, these seem to have been departmental affairs and the author has not seen a plaque bearing William’s name.