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name
GRAINGER, Fred - Date of
birth
17 August 1917 -
Age
27 - Place of
birth
Liverpool, England -
Hometown
Essex County, New Jersey
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
32596628 -
Rank
Private -
Function
Medical Aidman -
Unit
B Company,
1st Battalion,
504th Parachute Infantry Regiment,
82nd Airborne Division
-
Awards
Bronze Star,
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
17 September 1944 - Place of
death
At the lock bridge
Heumen, the Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| F | 2 | 1 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Frederick G. Grainger (father)
Sarah J. (Hudson) Grainger (mother)
Joseph Grainger (brother)
William Grainger (brother)
Rose Grainger (wife)
More information
Pvt Fred Grainger immigrated with his parents in 1920.He was married on 6 January 1940and worked as a machine operator.
He enlisted in Newark, New Jersey on 3 December 1942.
This is the story about what happened with Pvt Grainger, told by Bob Stern, who was present when Pvt Grainger was killed (told to Mr. Robert Wolfe, son of Hubert Wolfe, a veteran of the same company): 'It was bridge number 7, I think that's what it was. And there was a very small group of us headed toward it and we were drawing fire but we couldn't tell where it was coming from. There was a little warehouse or something over to our left and the bridge had like a building on top of it, so most of us laid down fire on that because we thought that's where [it was] coming from. Now Marcus Lt. Marcus had been hit. Charlie Nau was first one across, and there was a hole [hall?] where the Germans were supposed to detonate the bridge from and so if it was possible. He didn't get either one. So any way Marcus went out there and immediately went down. So then when me and I don't know Hudson or Hogan went out there to help him, I told Hud stay back, it's too hot out here. So I went out on my hands and knees and I asked Marcus, "Where you hit?" And I don't know if he told me or not anyway he was hurting so I took his first aid kit off his helmet and gave him a shot of morphine. About that time Grainger [Pvt. Fred Grainger] our medic he come out I told him to stay back. And he came out anyway and I remember this very clearly. He kneeled down a little on one knee and with the same motion took his helmet off he [said] "Where you hit sir?" and a shot rang out and he was shot right through the head, killing him instantly. And he fell sort of on Marcus. So I got down and I lay on my stomach. The only thing that was keeping from getting any closer to the ground was my zipper. And every time I moved I got shot at. So I laid still and didn't move. And every once in a while they'ld take a pot shot and the sand would hit me in the side and when they missed me they put more bullets in Grainger. We were there it seemed like all night, it must have been afternoon and getting toward dusk. So Hudson or Hogan, I don't know which one it was we got Marcus and dragged him back across the road down in the ditch and then there were others that were down there put him in a rubber boat and took him back across the canal. And.. so that just about... oh while we were there, this is all in just seconds... Murphy came over and shouted out "I made it!" boom he was down. and he was already off the bridge. I don't know, don't know who got Burnett (T/4 Onie Burnett) off. I didn't see anyone. They were real good... started taking wounded back across the canal in rubber boats. So anyway, getting toward nightfall, so me and Hogan or Hudson we took over that end of the bridge and most of the company went down to the next intersection.'
Pvt Grainger He was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery of Molenhoek, the Netherlands.
Source of information: NARA - WWII Enlistment Record, Robert Wolfe, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / 1930 Census / Family Trees / Naturalization Record
Photo source: www.findagrave.com, www.ancestry.com - Naturalization Record