Brenda McMahon has submitted the following:-
Fred the son of George Jeremiah and Sarah Elizabeth (nee Dawson) was born on May 10th 1894 and baptised a few weeks later, June 20th 1894 at West Cornforth. The couple married at Stockton in 1890 and went on to have 7 children although sadly 1 died.
In 1901 Father, George was working as a coal hewer. His children were Eliza Ella, Agnes Rose, Margaret Alice, and Robert.
On the 1911 census life went on as usual in the Grint household except for a couple of additions to the family - Minnie and Edna. Also by this time Fred at 17 is also working at the pit but as a coal miner /putter. No employment is shown for Robert aged 14.
Fred enlisted into the army on November 1st 1915 for the duration of the war. He was aged 21 years 5 months at enlistment. He was 5’5” tall and his faith was Church of England. He joined at Hartlepool.
His records show that he embarked from Southampton on June 16th 1916 and disembarked the following day at Havre. By September he was in the field with 253rd Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers then later posted to other units. He is recorded as missing on March 26th 1918 and eventually struck off the battalion register on June 1st 1918. Death was presumed as being killed in action on or about March 26th 1918.
It seems likely that Fred was involved in the following offensive which his resulted in his death:
The following information is taken from Durham at War and also the Battalion Archives websites
On 21 March 1918, after a shattering bombardment of gas, high explosive, and shrapnel shells, the German Army attacked on the Somme front. Recently moved to the 151st Brigade, the 1st/5th Battalion was thrown into the fighting in a desperate bid to halt the German advance, but was driven back with heavy casualties.
The 8th Division moved forwards to the front, but was soon forced to retreat and the Durham Pioneers were needed to fight as infantrymen. During this fighting, the commanding officer, Colonel Cecil Morgan, who had brought the battalion out to France in 1916, was mortally wounded. When 22 DLI was finally relieved by French soldiers on 2 April, the Pioneers had lost almost 500 men killed, wounded or missing.
Fred’s brother Robert was also killed during WW1 on October 23rd 1918 only seven months after his brother.
Medals: British War Medal and Victory Medal
Frederick Grint is remembered at Coxhoe on C103.01 and at Tursdale on T62.02
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 61
