Second Lieutenant John Grainger

Second Lieutenant Grainger, 1st/2nd ( City of London ) Regiment, Royal Fusiliers. He was killed in action in France on 1st July 1916, aged 27, on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. He was the son of Thomas and Marion Grainger of 122 Main Street, Tweedmouth and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. He fell in the V11 Corps attack on the very strong German positions at Hebuterne near Gommecourt. After heavy losses crossing No Mans Land some troops managed to enter enemy trenches but through lack of numbers were forced to withdraw to British lines. The photo shows troops attacking on the 1st July over a wide “no mans land” with little cover.