GRANT, James Septimus
| Service Number: | 16540 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Sapper |
| Last Unit: | 5th Field Company Engineers |
| Born: | Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia, 18 November 1881 |
| Home Town: | Hornsby, Hornsby Shire, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Locomotive Driver |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 2 June 1918, aged 36 years |
| Cemetery: |
Franvillers Communal Cemetery Extension |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Baulkham Hills William Thompson Masonic School War Memorial, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Sydney United Grand Lodge Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 2 Dec 1916: | Involvement Sapper, 16540, Field Company Engineers, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Orsova embarkation_ship_number: A67 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Dec 1916: | Embarked Sapper, 16540, Field Company Engineers, HMAT Orsova, Sydney | |
| 2 Jun 1918: | Involvement Sapper, 16540, 5th Field Company Engineers, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 16540 awm_unit: 5th Field Company, Australian Engineers awm_rank: Sapper awm_died_date: 1918-06-02 |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
James Septimus GRANT, (Service Number 16540) was born on 18 November 1881 at Goulburn. He began working for the NSW Railways as a cleaner at Eveleigh on 2 December 1898, becoming a fireman in 1904 and about the same time re-locating to Murrurundi. He returned to Eveleigh in 1908 and two years later was promoted to driver. In this new role he returned to Murrurundi where he remained until he transferred to Hornsby in 1913. It was from this position that he was given leave to join the Expeditionary Forces in October 1916. At the time of his enlistment he was married, to Florence May.
He was killed in action on 2 June 1918. ‘He was working on gas proof doors on a dug out in front of Heilly (?) Somme sector when he was killed by a shell.’ Spr E P Tuck (7101).
Submitted 8 August 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by John Oakes
James Septimus GRANT (Service Number 16540) was born on 18th November 1881 at Goulburn. He began working for the NSW Railways as a cleaner at Eveleigh on 2nd December 1898. He was promoted to fireman in 1904. About the same time he relocated to Murrurundi. He returned to Eveleigh in 1908. Two years later he was promoted to driver. In this new role he returned to Murrurundi where he remained until he transferred to Hornsby in 1913. It was from this position that he was given leave to join the Expeditionary Forces in October 1916. At the time of his enlistment he was married to Florence May.
He let Australia from Sydney aboard HMAT ‘Orsova’ on 2nd December 1916, reaching Plymouth (England) on 17th February 1917. In May he went to France and was taken on the strength of the 5th Field Company of Engineers with the rank of Sapper. From August 1917 he had many hospitalisations and convalescences with hernia. He finally re-joined his unit in Belgium in January 1918. He had two weeks leave in March.
He was killed in action on 2nd June 1918.
Sapper E. P. Tuck (7101) wrote, ‘He was working on gas proof doors on a dug out in front of Heilly (?) Somme sector when he was killed by a shell.’
He was buried at Franvillers Communal Cemetery Extension 3¾ miles North of Corbie.
- based on notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board