![Federated_Malay_States Federated_Malay_States](../assets/images/autogen/Federated_Malay_States.jpg)
5245
Sergeant
William John Grantham
![Grantham-William-John-tn _Medals Grantham-William-John-tn _Medals](../assets/images/autogen/Grantham-William-John-tn-_Medals.jpg)
1898/07/12 - Born Abington Road, Hildersham, Cambridgeshire
Son of James and Elsie (nee Mitchell) Grantham
Brother to James (B.1893)
Educated Downing College, Cambridge
World War One
Date
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Notes
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1914/09/20
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Camb & County School Officer Training Cadet (OTC) until 20th September 1914
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1916/07/03
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Cambridge University Officers Training Corps (CUOTC)
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Officer Training Corps were formed in 1908 at Universities and Public Schools to attract young men into the army and carry out training sufficient to allow the recruit to be commissioned. There were 23 OTC contingents of the 'Senior Division' at Universities and 166 of the 'Junior Division' at schools.
In February 1916, a new system of training for officers was introduced, after which temporary commissions could only be granted if a man had been through an Officer Cadet unit. Entrants would have to be aged over 18 and a half, and to have served as a ranker or to have been with an OTC. The training course lasted four and a half months. The Officer Cadet Battalion had an establishment of 400 cadets at any time (although this was raised to 600 - if the unit could accommodate them - in May 1917). More than 73,000 men gained infantry commissions after being trained in an OTB, with increasing numbers coming from 'the ranks' as the war went on.
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1916/07/05
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Applied for a Commission in the Army. Application approved by Commander-in-Chief Eastern Command 8th February 1917
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1916/08/12
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Enlisted as a Private (Service Number 329012) in the Cambridgeshire Regiment. Part of the Officer recruitment process (he was not 18 and a half), continued to serve as a Cambridge University OTC
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1917/03/09
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Called Up (following Commissioning approval 8th February 1917) and sent to 20th Officer Cadet Battalion, Crookham, Aldershot
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1917/08/28
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Discharged from the Cambridgeshire Regiment on successful completion of Officer training
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1917/08/29
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Formally commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Allocated to the 12th (home training) Battalion
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1917/11/03
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Joined 36 D Infantry Base Depot located at Harfleur (near Le Havre) France as a 2nd Lieutenant in 11th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
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1917/11/17
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Joined battalion in the field. 11th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Between 20th November 1917 and mid December the battalion fought in the battle of Cambrai.
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1918/01/26
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Sent to Hospital via 108 Field Ambulance and 61 Casualty Clearing Station with Bronchitis.
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1918/02/02
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Returned to Unit
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1918/03/08
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Posted to (on the strength of) 7/8th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers but remained with 23rd Entrenching Battalion.
The New Year was spent in trench routine at Selente and St Simon before the battalion received news on February 1st 1918 that it was to be disbanded as part of a general re-organisation of the Army. They were in the area of Artemps, and on February 21st the 11th Bn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers ceased to exist. Its war service had come to an end. The men who remained were joined with the remaining men of the 14th (Service) Battalion Royal Irish Rifles and were re-styled as the 23rd Entrenching Battalion under Lt/ Col. the Honourable, Odo Richard Vivian lately of the 14th RIR.
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1918/04/06
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Joined 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers – Location ‘Woincourt’ then ‘Poelcappelle’ (NE side of Ypres salient) by 12th April 1918.
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1918/04/15
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Posted to 2nd Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Battalion located in the vicinity of Wieltje NE side of the Ypres salient.
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1918/05/21
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Proceeded on a Course
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1918/06/22
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Rejoined Battalion
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1918/08/21
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20 Course at 10 Corps Signal School
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1918/09/17
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Taken ill/injured whilst on the course (12 Sep 1918) sent to No 20 General Hospital
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1918/09/24
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Moved to No 30 General Hospital, Calais
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1918/09/26
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Moved to No 39 General Hospital, Rouen
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1918/11/17
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Released from No 39 General Hospital, Rouen
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1918/11/25
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Rejoined Battalion from hospital
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1918/11/29
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Leave to the UK 29 Nov 1918 – 13 Dec 1918
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1919/03/03
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Authorised to wear the rank of Lieutenant wef 28 Feb 1919 pending official authorisation
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1919/10/09
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Authority to proceed to the UK for demobilisation – embarked 26th September 1919.
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1919/10/11
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Demobilised
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![Grantham-William-John_Medals Grantham-William-John_Medals](../assets/images/autogen/Grantham-William-John_Medals.jpg)
Civilian Life
Occupation - Civil Engineer
1923/01/15 - Sailed from Liverpool in the ‘Pyrrhus’ to Singapore
Acting Assistant Advisor, Drainage and Irrigation, Malay States.
William married Muriel
1926/07/08 - Son Ronald William was born
1931/02/04 - Son Phillip John was born
1940/01/27 - William awarded the Efficiency Medal
World War 2
![Federated_Malay_States Federated_Malay_States](../assets/images/autogen/Federated_Malay_States_1.jpg)
5245
Sergeant
Federated Malay States Volunteer Force
2nd Selangor Battalion
Service
HQ Kuala Lumpur, L. CQMS, 5425 Intelligence Section, 2nd FMSVF.
Japanese PoW
Captured Singapore
Changi Camp
PoW No. i/3029
Commander - Lt-Col. E.B. Holmes, 1st Manchester Regiment.
On the staff of Changi PoW Camp Rubber Factory.
Japanese Index Card - Side One
![Grantham-William-John-01 Grantham-William-John-01](../assets/images/autogen/Grantham-William-John-01.jpg)
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
![Grantham-William-John-02 Grantham-William-John-02](../assets/images/autogen/Grantham-William-John-02.jpg)
New PoW No. 4947
1945/09/05 - Changi Niminal Roll
1945/11/02 - Liberated
General Seishiro Itagaki, Japanese Commander of Singapore, would not accept the surrender. Plus it gave him time to cover up all Japanese Atrocities in Singapore. The allied naval landing force 'Operation Tiderace' were delayed as it was still understood the Japanese would dispose of all the PoWs in Singapore if they landed. Mountbatten ordered British paratroopers into Singapore to protect the camps. To many of the PoWs in Singapore, those red berets of the paratroopers were the first signs that the war had ended. All this delayed organising the PoWs. It wasn't till the 12th September that Lord Mountbatten accepted the Japanese surrender at the Municipal Building. Hospital cases were the first to leave Singapore 1945/09/10 on the HMHS Koroa. They were soon followed by Repatriation ships which started reaching the UK about the 15th of October 1945. Why many of the liberated PoWs on these ships had November on their Japanese Index cards, I don't know as in other areas of the Far East, PoWs were marked as Liberated at their PoW camps with the correct date. Unless General Seishiro Itagaki did not make the cards available when the camps were liberated.
Liberation Questionnaire
World War II Medals
![pacific-star-tn pacific-star-tn](../assets/images/pacific-star-tn.jpg)
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![war-medal-1939-1945-tn war-medal-1939-1945-tn](../assets/images/war-medal-1939-1945-tn.jpg)
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![1939-1945 Star-tn 1939-1945 Star-tn](../assets/images/1939-1945_Star-tn.jpg)
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Post War
1947 - Sailed from Southampton in the ‘Willem Ruys’ to Singapore, Muriel sailed with him.
1949 - Sailed back to Britain and St, Ives, Huntingdonshire.
1965/11/11 - William’s wife Muriel Effie died in Huntingdon.
1966 - William died.
Information
Anne Ambler - William’s Granddaughter (Information on WWI)
Help from Jonathan Moffatt.
Liberation Questionnaire - COFEPOW
KEW Files:- WO 345/21, WO 361/1947, WO 361/2060, WO 361/2017, WO 361/2229, WO 367/2, WO 392/24,
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