ALBERT THOMAS GRANT was serving as a Private in the 2nd/4th Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry when he was killed in action during the Battle of St Quentin on 21st March 1918. He was aged 21 and is remembered on the Pozieres Memorial having no known grave.

He was the son of Thomas and Gertrude Grant, having been born in Newbottle with Charlton, Northamptonshire. His father died and his mother re-married Frederick Pinfold and ran the Red Lion in Culworth. He remained in Newbottle, living with his grandfather and working as a shop assistant. At the time of his enlistment he was living at the Gate Inn, Hook Norton, which was being run by his mother, and working as a grocer's assistant, later moving to Cowpasture Farm in the village. He married Elsie Mabel Sykes in  May 1916.

He enlisted into the Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars in 1915 before transferring to the 2nd/4th Ox and Bucks and landing in France with them in May 1916. As part of the 184th Brigade in 61st (2nd South Midland) Division they saw action in the Battle of Fromelles and phases of the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917. On 18th/19th March 1918 the Battalion moved up to the front line between Griscourt and Fayet. A German Offensive was expected since the surrender of Russia had released thousands of men for duty on the Western Front. The men were working on improving trenches and wiring and sending out fighting patrols to gain intelligence from captured prisoners. At 0430 on 21st their positions were subjected to a heavy bombardement including gas shells. At 0900, under a heavy smoke barrage, the Germans attacked in overwhelming numbers and penetrating the front lines and inflicing heavy casualties, including Private Nason.

Steve Kingsford