Corporal Frederick W Grantham

Frederick William Grantham, son of Frederick William and Charlotte Grantham, and husband to Emily Edith Grantham, of Ladywood, Birmingham, served as a pre-war regular soldier with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps.

He volunteered for airborne forces and was posted to 1st Airborne Division Ordnance Field Park Company, RAOC.

On Monday, 18 September 1944, he flew to Arnhem as part of the 1st Airborne Division Ordnance Field Park glider element, along with the Officer Commanding, Major C C Chidgey and 9 Other Ranks and several jeeps with stores. He was eventually involved with the defence of the immediate area around the Hartenstein Hotel, which was the 1st Airborne Divisional Headquarters. On Thursday, 21 September there was heavy artillery and mortar barrage of the divisional area.

Brigadier Frank Steer in his book 'Arnhem The Fight To Sustain' records the events of Cpl Grantham’s death:

"In the DAA [Divisional Administrative Area] the stand-to took place, as usual, at 5.00 am. However, it was not until 7.00am that the morning’s mortar barrage began. Referred to by many as the ‘morning hate’ it was to go on for some considerable time.

'Jerry started mortaring early. He seemed to be working on a plan . . . until approximately 12.00 hours, then stopped – for dinner. Naturally we took the opportunity to grab our meal too’. [1]

During the barrage Lieutenant Colonel Michael Packe’s headquarters received a direct strike, and one RASC and one RAOC soldier were hit. The RAOC casualty was Corporal ‘Freddie’ Grantham, who was seriously wounded and died some two hours later. [2]

‘I saw ‘Freddie’ Grantham killed. He was standing in a doorway of a house when the mortar exploded’[3]

Corporal Grantham had re-joined Airborne Forces, having been previously invalided out of the Ordnance Field Park and returned to his original unit. This was anathema to any airborne soldier worth his salt, and Freddie had worked hard to overcome his injury, returning to the OFP just a month earlier. Slim, tall and dark, he was a very good store-man, and a very fit soldier; Major Chidgey liked him enormously. It was he who helped Lieutenant Colonel Gerry Mobbs to bury ‘Freddie’ Grantham in a field just west of the Hartenstein Hotel. [4]

‘I knew Freddie Grantham and his wife Emily very well. They were a lovely couple. There were no children.’ " [5]

Cpl Grantham died on 21 September 1944, aged 26 years, and was initially buried in a field to the West of the Hartenstein Hotel. He now lies at rest in the Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery.

References
[1] Lance Corporal JL Hughes RASC 1st Airborne Division.
[2] Arnhem the Fight to Sustain by Brigadier F R Steer MBE: Corporal ‘Freddie’ Grantham is the only one of the four RAOC soldiers killed at Arnhem with a known grave, and is buried in the Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery. The date of death on his headstone is incorrect in showing the 25th September – there are clear records showing he died on the 21st. Authors’ Note: I am seeking to remedy this. [This was in August 2000]
[3] Pte S G Harsley ROAC This probably places Corporal Grantham at the first CRASC headquarters, which was in a building on the north-eastern edge of the DAA.
[4] Account taken from ARNHEM – THE FIGHT TO SUSTAIN by Brigadier F R Steer MBE.
[5] Sergeant R Collins RAOC 1st Airborne Division.