William Henry Grainger
He was a bricklayer in 1911.
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
William Henry Grainger was born in 1874 at Nottingham, he was the son of the late Benjamin William Grainger a coal miner and Emily Grainger née Ledger.
His father Benjamin was born in 1846 at Mill Hay, Derbyshire, he died in 1898 in the Meadwos, Nottingham he was 52 yrs of age, his mother Emily Ledger was born in 1858 at Sneinton, she died in 1883 at Sneinton she was 25 yrs of age, they were married on 29th December 1877 at St Pauls Church, Nottingham they went on to have 5 children,
William Henry was born in 1874 at Nottingham. He died on 29th June 1916 at Meopotamia and his mother Emma Fettiplace was born in 1874 at Nottingham. They were married in 1899 at Rotherham and went onto have 7 children. 4 were to die in infancy or early childhood.
In the 1911 census the family lived at 8 Lake Yard, Island Street, Nottingham. William Henry 36 yrs is a bricklayer he is living with is wife Emma 36 yrs a lace clipper and their children, George William 13 yrs, Emily Sophia 11 yrs and Albert Ernest 4 yrs of age.
Sapper William Henry Grainger enlisted at Nottingham, he served with the 88th Field Company Royal Engineers, he died on 29th June 1916 of a fever in Mesopotamia, he is bureid Iraq at Amara War Cemetery, XXII. B. 4.Iraq.
His son Private George William Grainger enlisted at Nottingham, he served with the 9th battalion Sherwood Foresters Regiment.
He was killed during the Second Battle of the Sambre in France along with his brother in law Lewis George Ellis, also a Nottingham man but living in Derbyshire.George enlisted after January 1st 1916 and received the British War Medal and Victory Medal. After taking Sebourg, elements of the battalion attacked the hills beyond without artillery support. They were caught in severe machine gun fire and sustained heavy casualties with around fifty men killed. The positions where taken the following day with the help of artillery and with no deaths. It would be the battalion's last battle of World War One.
Buried in VALENCIENNES (ST. ROCH) COMMUNAL CEMETERY III. B. 17
In memoriam published 4th November 1919 in the Nottingham Evening Post :-
“GRAINGER. – In loving memory of my dear son, G. William Grainger, Sherwood Foresters, of 8 Leopold-terrace, Denman-street, who was killed in action November 4th, 1918; also my dear husband, William H. Grainger, [1] Sapper, Royal Engineers, who died of fever in Salonika, June 29th, 1915. [sic] Gone from our home and never will be forgotten. – From his sorrowing mother, brothers, and sisters, also wife and children, aunt, uncle, and Fred.”
research and information Peter Gillings
Photo of William Henry Grainger
Amara War Cemetery, Iraq