Albert Walter Grant

Other Regiments, Registered War Grave

Albert Walter Grant
Pioneer 231037 Carrier Pigeon Service
Royal Engineers

 Division 76
Extension

 

Albert Walter Grant was the son of Lewis William and Beatrice Grant and husband of Bertha Florence Grant.  His grave is a registered war grave but the headstone is a family memorial.  His story is one which is particularly tragic but in its day not uncommon.  The headstone reveals that both his daughter and wife lie  with him in the same grave.  He had served two years in France returning after demobilisation on the 17th  February 1919.  He was immediately struck down with influenza which developed into pneumonia.  He passed the influenza on to his 2½ year old daughter, Phyllis Mary.  Neither father or daughter survived.  Albert died on the 28th February 1919 and Phyllis  on the 5th March 1919.  The Reading Standard of 8th March 1919 carried an account of  the funeral.

 “The deceased who was only 31 years of age, joined up in Jan 1917 and went to France a month later in the RE Pigeon Service Section.  After serving just over two years he returned from France on February 17th last and took to his bed, from which he never again rose.  Unfortunately his little daughter was stricken with the dread disease, with fatal results, and both were buried together.  Before joining up Mr. Grant was a well known figure in Reading, having been connected with dairy business from his youth.  His one hobby was pigeon racing, and to this he devoted much of his spare time.  He was a member of local pigeon clubs and had won several prizes for the excellence and swiftness of flight of his birds.” 

 Bertha Grant survived her husband and child, living until her 80th Year, she died  in 1961.

Albert Walter Grant, known as Bert was brought up at Battle Farm.  Tragedy struck the family again later in the year 1919 when his brothers wife died aged 33.  Both family graves lie near each other in Division 76.   The grave number of Albert’s grave is 16591.

The 1911 census shows that Albert’s mother was the head of the family and she and her four sons and one daughter were running their dairy farm at Battle Farm, Oxford Road, Reading. This had been the family farm in 1901 when Lewis Grant was also alive.

 

Tom Gray and Fred Gray

Army, Registered War Grave, RFC / RAF, Royal Berkshire Regiment, Somme
Gray bros photo
Tom Gray
Air Mechanic II  33053
Royal Flying Corps		 Fred Gray
Lance Corporal 19990
1st Royal Berkshire Regt.

Tom  and Fred Gray were the sons of T. and Elizabeth Gray of 31 Zinzan Street, Reading.

Tom Gray is buried in a registered war grave and commemorated on a CWGC war pattern headstone.  Grave number 3686A.  He died of meningitis, at the time referred to as spotted fever on the 15th March 1917.  Tom Gray was the husband of L. Gray and was aged 33.

TGray grave

Fred Gray is commemorated on his brother grave on a scroll stone.  The inscription states “Killed on Somme”.  Tom is also commemorated on the scroll stone which finished with the words “FOR KING AND COUNTRY”.

Fred was killed by a machine gun whilst taking trenches on November 14th 1916.  The Battle of Ancre, the 4th phase of the Somme battle, had begun the day before and Beaumont-Hamel was captured during the offensive.  The Somme Battle finally came to and end on 18 November 1916.

Fred Gray is buried on the Somme in Munich Trench British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel, location B.II.

 FGray grave

 

 The small cemetery, which holds about 100 graves, was started in January 1917.  Munich Trench was captured on the 11 January 1917 by  V Corps and the cemetery was originally known as V Corps Cemetery No.8.  The burials of those who took part in the last phase of the Somme battle were carried out in the spring.  Although Fred Gray’s body laid out on the battlefield throughout the winter months the ground was not fought over and this enabled the remains to be identified.  Many casualties of the Somme battles were posted as missing and their bodies never found.   Another Reading man, George E. Thatcher is also buried in Munich Trench British Cemetery and a small stone bearing his initials has been found in the Reading Cemetery.

Cecil Gregory and George Gregory

Army, Other Regiments, Registered War Grave, Royal Berkshire Regiment

Cecil Gregory
Private 48229
Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry (formerly Royal Warwickshire Regiment)

 George Gregory
Private 20001136
Royal Berkshire Regiment

 Division 44

 

Gregory G photo  CIMG2221

 

Cecil and George Gregory, were the sons of  Albert and Alice Gregory, of 29 Orchard Street,  Reading.  Theirs is a registered war grave and has a CWGC war pattern headstone, number 3275. 

 Cecil Gregory died of sickness on 12th December, 1917.  Aged 18.  He had been training at Salisbury Plain when he died from pneumonia.

 The Chronicle August 4th 1916 reported that George Gregory had been wounded in his back and right arm and was being treated in Sheffield Hospital. He was 20 years of age.  He died at home on 30th October 1918. He worked at the biscuit factory before the war and was in the Territorials.  The report stated that he once had a very narrow escape after a mine explosion.

 It is not known when he received his injuries or his age at death.  Further research is needed to establish his service battalion.  It is likely that he received his injuries on the Somme.

The 1911 census tells us that Albert Gregory was a labourer at the Biscuit factory. Albert and Alice had been married fifteen years and they had five children. George was the eldest and was a Tin Worker (probably Huntley, Bourne and Stevens). The other children, including Cecil, were in school. In addtion to George and Cecil, Albert and Alice had another son, Alfred and two daughters, Nellie and Doris.