Pte Grant was a 34 year carpenter originally from Bowden, Roxburghshire of the Scottish Borders with 4 years pre-war service in the Bowden Rifles Volunteer Rifle Corps
He was living at 29 Eastmount Avenue, Toronto with his wife Betsy and their two children May and Pringle when attested into the 134th Battalion (48th Highlanders) at Toronto in January 1916. The 134th Battalion was billeted in Toronto on the CNE grounds in what was known as the Horticultural Building barracks. The battalion moved to Niagara camp in May 1916 and then from there to Camp Borden to complete its training before departing to Halifax in August 1916. The unit left Halifax onboard the SS Scotian and arrived in the UK on August 18th. It was stationed at Bramshott camp and scheduled to become one of the battalions of the new 5th Canadian Division.
In early October 1916, 350 men were sent as reinforcements to the 15th Battalion. The remainder of the 134th was moved to Whitley camp in Surrey as the 5th Division started to form. More men were sent as reinforcements to units in France – 378 to the 19th Battalion, 117 to the 3rd Battalion and another 100 to the 15th battalion. In February 1918 the decision was made to demobilize the 5th Division and all its battalions are broken up to send reinforcements to units in France.
Private Thomas Grant was one of the men in the October 1916 reinforcement draft sent to the 15th Battalion in France where the 15th had suffered heavy casualties during the September-October fighting on The Somme. (See the digital scan of 15th Battalion Part 2 Daily Order 65 dated 19-10-1916 where his name is listed along with other men from the 134th Battalion arriving at the 15th Battalion)
When he arrived the 15th Battalion had been relieved on the Somme near Courcelette and had moved into rear area billets near Ribeaucourt to rest. He was assigned No. 3 Company although later moved to the Battalion Transport Section in June 1917. (See the digital scans of the front and back side of his 15th Battalion Record of Services card). In 1916 while serving in No. 3 Company he participated in the following trench tours; Oct 27-10 Nov at Cabaret Rouge; Nov 18-22 in the Carenchy sector; Dec 12-22 in the Berthonval sector.
In 1917 while still in No. 3 Company he participated in the following trench tours; Jan 19-24 and 22-27 Feb in the Calonne sector including the Calonne Raid on Feb 22; March 1917 at Neuville St Vaast and Maison blanche. On April 5th the battalion moved into the front lines at Vimy and it was one of the first wave assault battalions on April 9 for the attack on Vimy Ridge.
For the remainder of April and throughout the months of May and June up to the 26th, the battalion did numerous front line trench tours in the Vimy area at Fabrus Wood, Willerval, Arleux, Vimy Ridge itself and Mericourt. In July the battalion did one trench tour near Loos as they prepared for the coming assault against Hill 70. On August 15 the Canadian Corps began the assault against Hill 70 and the 15th Battalion was again a first wave assault battalion on the extreme left flank of the entire Canadian assault line which was a critically important position The 15th Battalion captured all its objectives and held them against a number of determined German counterattacks in which there was very desperate fighting in the forward positions and the bodies of many of the men who were killed were either hastily buried on the field or simply not recovered. There are no details as to precise location or time or any eye witness accounts but at some point during the initial assault on August 15th Private Thomas Grant was Missing in Action and later presumed to have been killed in action.
On page 261 of the Regimental History, there is a general summary of the casualties the battalion suffered during the battle of Hill 70 August 15-16, 1917. It states that “transport had 2 men killed and 4 wounded” – given that Private Grant had been transferred from No. 3 Company to Battalion Transport on June 16, 1917, he was most certainly one of the two men killed. His death was reported in Battalion Part 2 Daily Order No. 100 dated 22-8-1917. (See digital scan)
NOK: Son of Robert A. Grant, of Maxton, St. Boswells, Scotland; husband of Betsy Grant, of 29 Eastmount Avenue, Toronto.
