Second Lieutenant John Grainger

Second Lieutenant John Scott 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, Thiepval, Somme, France. He fell in the attack on the very strong German defences at Gommecourt. Despite heavy losses crossing No Mans land some of the men managed to get into some of the enemy trenches. However due to high casualties they were too weak to hold the gains and the survivors had to return to their jump off  trenches. The photo shows troops attacking over no mans land with lack of cover very apparent.