GEORGE GRANT, Sapper 121625, 250th Tunnelling Company, The Royal Engineers

GEORGE GRANT, Sapper 121625, 250th Tunnelling Company, The Royal Engineers, is NOT named on the Larkhall War Memorial. He was a Mining Engineer, and this made him a very qualified candidate to serve in The Royal Engineers.

GEORGE GRANT was the adopted son of Robert Grant and Elizabeth Binnie (his aunt).

His mother was Catherine Binnie, who never married.
Catherine had 4 children and the father of each child is not recorded on their birth records.
Jane Henderson Binnie was born on 17th December, 1865.
William Jamieson Binnie was born on 21st June, 1874.
GEORGE CUMMINGS BINNIE (or GRANT) was born on 21st January, 1877.
David Cummings Binnie was born on 23rd December, 1878.
The children were all born at Dollhouse (Dalhousie), Parish of Polmont, Stirlingshire.

GEORGE's maternal grandparents were John Binnie, a Forrester, and Jane Henderson.

His aunt, Elizabeth Binnie, age 22, a Domestic Servant of Dollhouse, (Dalhousie), Polmont, Stirlingshire, and Robert Grant, age 25, a Railway Porter of Wallaceston, Polmont, were married on 18th September, 1863, at Dollhouse (Dalhousie) Weedings, Parish of Polmont, Stirlingshire.

The 1871 POLMONT, STIRLING Census was taken on 4th April, 1871.
Listed at Dollhouse, Polmont, are:
Jane Binnie, age 63, Head, Widow, b Bo'ness.
Catherine H. Binnie, age 26, Daughter, General Servant, b Abercorn, Linlithgow.
Jane Binnie, age 5, Grand-Daughter, b Polmont, Stirling.

Listed at Nesley's Mount, POLMONT, STIRLING:
Robert Grant, age 32, Head, Coal Miner, b Polmont, Stirling.
Elizabeth Grant, age 28, Wife, b Kirkliston, Linlithgow.
Jane Grant, age 7, Daughter, Scholar, b Polmont, Stirling.
Janet Grant, age 2, Daughter, b Polmont, Stirling.

The 1881 SLAMANNAN, STIRLING Census was taken on 7th April, 1881.
Listed at Cottage, Slamannan, are:
Robert Grant, age 41, Head, Coal Mine Manager, b Polmont, Stirling.
Elizabeth Grant, age 37, Wife, b Bo'ness, Linlithgow.
Janet Grant, age 13, Daughter, Scholar, b Lasswade, Edinburgh.
James Grant, age 9, Adopted Son, Scholar, b Glasgow.

Listed at Dollhouse, POLMONT, STIRLING:
Catherine H. Binnie, age 37, Head, Market Gardener, b Abercorn, Linlithgow.
Jane Binnie, age 15, Daughter, Gardener, b Polmont, Stirling.
William Binnie, age 6, Son, Scholar, b Polmont, Stirling.
GEORGE BINNIE, age 4, Son, b Polmont, Stirling.
David Binnie, age 2, Son, b Polmont, Stirling.
Agnes Barclay, age 50, Widow, Aunt, Garden Labourer, b Muiravonside, Stirling.

On 22nd September, 1882, his mother Catherine Binnie, age 37, a Dressmaker, died at Dollhouse (Dalhousie), Parish of Polmont, Stirlingshire. The cause of death was cancer of the liver. Her death was reported by her uncle David Binnie.

GEORGE BINNIE (or GRANT) was 5 years of age when his mother died.

The 1891 LARKHALL Census was taken on 4th April, 1891.
Listed at Roseland Cottage, Machan, Larkhall, are:
Robert Grant, age 52, Head, Colliery Manager, b Muiravonside, Stirling.
Elizabeth M. B. Grant, age 49, Wife, b Abercorn, Linlithgow.
Janet G. Grant, age 22, Daughter, Domestic Duties, b Lasswade, Edinburgh.
James Grant, age 18, Adopted Son, Coal Miner, b Barony, Glasgow.
GEORGE GRANT, age 14, ADOPTED Son, Coal Miner, b Polmont, Stirling.
Elizabeth McKillop Grant, age 1, Grand-Daughter, b Hamilton.

The 1901 LARKHALL Census was taken on 31st March, 1901.
Listed at Gretta Cottage, Muir Street, LARKHALL, are:
Robert Grant, age 65, Head, Coalmaster, b Polmont, Stirling.
Elizabeth Grant, age 59, Wife, b Abercorn, Linlithgow.
Elizabeth Grant, age 10, Grand-Daughter, Scholar, b Hamilton.

Listed at Preston Villa, SALINE, FIFE, with his future wife's brother and family, is:
GEORGE GRANT, age 29, Boarder, Mining Engineer, b Polmont, Stirling.

On 11th July, 1901, GEORGE GRANT, age 29, a Mining Engineer of 6 Garngaber Place, Partick, Glasgow, married Annie Wardlaw, age 27, a Spinster of 6 Garngaber Place, Partick, Glasgow, at 6 Garngaber Place, Partick, Glasgow.

On 1st February, 1906, his adopted mother (aunt) Elizabeth Binnie or Grant, age 65, died at 11 Braehead Avenue, Larkhall.

The 1911 SALINE, FIFE, Census was taken on 2nd April, 1911.
The family are listed at Causewayend, Saline, Fife, as follows:
GEORGE GRANT, age 38, Head, Coal Miner, b Polmont, Stirling.
Annie Grant, age 38, Wife, b Saline, Fife.
Annie Grant, age 7, Niece, Scholar, b Larkhall.
The census record shows that GEORGE and Annie were married for 9 years, and had no children at that time.

GEORGE GRANT joined The Royal Engineers as Sapper 121625, and went to France on 5th October, 1915.

Mining knowledge and expertise were needed by the Royal Engineers and GEORGE GRANT was posted to the 250th Tunnelling Company of the Royal Engineers. The 250th Tunnelling Company was formed at Rouen, France, in October, 1915, and relieved the 177th Tunnelling Company. The 250th dug the deep-level mines ('Petit Bois', 'Peckham' and 'Spanbroekmolen') under the Messines Ridge.

GEORGE GRANT was Killed-In-Action on 15th June, 1916, age 43.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) entry for GEORGE GRANT shows that he is buried at KEMMEL CHATEAU MILITARY CEMETERY, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. There are 1,137 identified casualties buried at KEMMEL CHATEAU MILITARY CEMETERY.
His widow Annie requested that her husband's gravestone be engraved "TO MEMORY EVER DEAR".

GEORGE GRANT is commemorated at The Scottish National War Memorial (SNWM) in Edinburgh Castle.

The entry in Soldiers Died in the Great War (SDGW) shows that GEORGE GRANT was born at Polmont, Stirlingshire, was resident at Saline, Fife, and enlisted in Dunfermline.

The Medal Rolls Index Card (MIC) for GEORGE GRANT shows that he was awarded The 1914-15 Star Medal, The Victory Medal and The British War Medal. The MIC is dated 5th October, 1915, and shows that he went to France on that date.

The "Soldier's Effects" record shows that his widow Annie received his Outstanding Pay of £19/15/3, and a War Gratuity of £3/-/-.

A newspaper clipping taken from The Hamilton Advertiser, page 5, dated 22nd July, 1916, reads:
"KILLED IN ACTION.
<snip>
- Mrs Grant, Blossom Cottage, Saline, Fifeshire, has been notified that her husband, Sapper Geo. Grant, Royal Engineers, was killed in action on June 15th. He enlisted in Sept., 1915, and had been on duty abroad since October. He was employed previous to enlisting by Messrs Wilsons & Clyde Coal Coy. (Ltd), at Lethans Colliery. Sapper Grant was the second son of the late Mr Robert Grant, coalmaster, for many years resident at Gretta Cottage, Larkhall".

Lest We Forget!

Medal Rolls Index card (MIC)

Medal Roll for the award of the 1914-15 Star Medal

Medal Roll for the award of The Victory Medal and The British War Medal

Soldier's Effects record

Newspaper clipping taken from The Hamilton Advertiser, page 5, dated 22nd July, 1916