Donald GRANT

GRANT, Donald

Service Number: 1556
Enlisted: 16 August 1915, Brisbane, Queensland
Last Rank: Driver
Last Unit: 11th Field Artillery Brigade
Born: Roma, Queensland, 8 October 1879
Home Town: Roma, Maranoa, Queensland
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Labourer
Died: Natural causes, Brisbane, Queensland., 29 June 1954, aged 74 years
Cemetery: Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane, Qld
Memorials:
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World War 1 Service

16 Aug 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, Brisbane, Queensland
18 Nov 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1556, 11th Light Horse Regiment, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Geelong embarkation_ship_number: A2 public_note: ''
18 Nov 1915: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1556, 11th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Geelong, Adelaide
24 Jun 1918: Discharged AIF WW1, Driver, 1556, 11th Field Artillery Brigade

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Biography

Donald Grant was born on 8 October 1879 at Roma in Queensland, the second son of George Urquhart Grant and Mary Jane O'Brien who married on 4 January 1872 at Ipswich, Queensland. His siblings were George Duncan, Margaret and Grace Ellen. His father George died of Meningitis on March 15 1882 at Maranoa, Queensland. Mary later married James French in New South Wales.

Donald enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on August 16 1915 at Roma in Queensland. He was 30 years and 10 months old at the time. He joined the 7th Battalion of the 11th Light Horse. He listed his mother Mary Jane French as his next of kin. She was living at 29 King St Sydney at the time. He was 5ft 7 inches tall and weighed 8 stone 12 pounds with a fresh complexion, dark hair and brown eyes. He embarked from Australia on October 22 1915.

He must have transferred to 2nd Light Horse because on February 22 1916, he rejoined the 11th Light Horse at Heliopole. On April 1st he transferred to Artillery. He was taken on strength at Deca on April 7th, he was appointed driver on May 22nd while in Egypt. He joined the British Expeditionary Forces and on June 1st embarked at Alexandria aboard the 'Haverford' for Marseilles disembarking on June 10th.

He was accidentally injured while on stable duties at Beherecourt on March 29th 1917 where he suffered broken ribs. There were several bouts of illness during the remainder of 1917, before returning to Australia per 'Kenilworth Castle' on March 12 1918, disembarking on May 22 1918. His medical record shows he was discharged as he was gassed. He recieved the Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Very little is known about Donald until his death on June 29 1954, in Brisbane where he is buried at Lutwyche Cemetery.

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