John Leslie Granger, MM

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Military Medal (MM) (Geo. V) 4418 Pte. J.L. Granger 2-S.A.Infy.;
1914-15 Star Pte. J.L. Granger 1st Infantry; 
BWM Pte. J.L. Granger 2nd S.A.I.;
AVM (Bil.) Pte. J.L. Granger 2nd S.A.I.;
BWM MT-122 Dvr. J.L. Granger B.S.A.P.; 
AVM MT-122 Dvr. J.L. Granger B.S.A.P.

John Leslie Granger was born in Durban in 1896 and after completing his schooling he worked as a salesman.

On 9 August 1914 he attested as No. 980, Durban Light Infantry, for service in German S.W.A. He wasdischarged on 5 July 1915 and six weeks later he re-enlisted, this time in the 2nd S.A. Infantry Regiment. 

 

The attesting officer was Lt. Lovell Greene, who would later earn a Military Cross for the action where Granger would be awarded a Military Medal.

 

His regiment embarked for England on 9 October 1915, and landed there on 30 October 1915. Two months later they left England for service in Egypt, taking part in the successful attack on the Senussi at Hal Azim (23 January 1916) and eventually embarked for France on 12 April 1916.

Granger landed at Marseilles on 20 April 1916. He advanced with his regiment to the Somme, ending up at Delville Wood where he was wounded on 15 July, the first day of the battle. According to his medical file he was carrying a message asking for “more men” when he took a bullet in the left hand. 

 

Shortly afterwards a shell exploded behind him: a splinter struck him on the left foot and he was blown into a shell-hole. He was admitted to Étaples Hospital 2 days later and transferred to Camberwell Hospital in England on 23 July 1916.

He was one of the men recommended for a DCM by Lt. Col. W.E.C. Tanner (shared citation with Pte. S.T. Dunstone) but was awarded an M.M. (LG 16 November 1916):

“These two men handled and worked a Lewis Gun in DELVILLE WOOD with the greatest gallantry. The Company to which they were attached was suffering heavy losses, but under a galling fire and with the enemy attacking in strength, Ptes. Dunstone and Granger stuck to and worked their gun with such efficiency as to drive the enemy back when only fifteen yards distant. 15th-18th July 1916”.

Granger’s wounds kept him in hospital for almost 4 months and he returned to South Africa on recuperative leave at the end of February 1917. In July 1917 he was admitted to hospital in Durban for treatment of shell shock and further operations on his foot and was eventually discharged from hospital on 16 October 1917 with a 6 months’ temporary pension.

 

Notwithstanding this, Granger attested as a driver the next day, on 17 October 1917 in the newly formed Mechanical Transport Section of the B.S.A. Police. Four weeks later, on 14 November 1917, he was finally discharged from the 2nd S.A.I. as “Being permanently unfit for general war service”!

 

His subsequent service up to February 1918 was as part of a complement of some 180 B.S.A.P. mechanics and drivers who delivered 90 much-needed motor vehicles to the troops in Nyasaland and German East Africa. 

On 14 March 1918 Granger was back at No. 3 Convalescent Camp in Durban with his disability stated as “Shell shock, Delville Wood, 15 July 1916”.

 

The Medical Board awarded him an 80% pension for a further six months. He then went back to Southern Rhodesia where he was honourably discharged from the B.S.A.P. as “medically unfit: shell shock” on 4 May 1918. According to the Zimbabwe Archives he did not receive a gratuity, but was granted a Railway Travel Warrant (with meals included) from Salisbury to Durban.

The South African “Medal Authorities” clearly did not take note of Granger’s service with the B.S.A.P., even though there was a file (empty) at D.H.Q. with his Rhodesian attestation data listed on the cover. 

Taking similar circumstances into account they should have issued him with a 1914-15 Star (as duly happened on 25 October 1920) but his Service Card should have been endorsed to the effect that the WM and AVM were to be issued by the Imperial Authorities. This did not happen and a WM and Bilingual AVM were despatched to him on 4 February 1923 off the roll of 2 S.A.I.

 

It is not known on what date he received his two medals off the B.S.A.P. roll. It would seem that Granger saw nothing untoward in his double medal issue: after all, he had a double income (Pension and pay) for his last period of military service!!

After WWI he joined the Durban Transport Department and worked there for 15 years. Thereafter he was a meter reader with the Durban Corporation for 10 years and his final working years were spent with the City Treasury Department. 

When he retired he started a food take-away business. This he sold after six years and shortly afterwards he was elected a Durban City Councillor. He served in this capacity for a further 10 years before resigning for health reasons.

 

During his term of office he was instrumental in starting the Park’n Ride Car Park and was also responsible for the installation of shark nets on Durban’s beaches.

 

He kept an interest in military matters and in 1965 he attended the 50th Anniversary Re-union of the 1st S.A. Infantry Brigade.

 

He was a very keen football supporter and often wore the colours of Durban City Football Club when attending their matches.

 

This rubbed off on his children: his one son Vivian was responsible for starting the Professional Football League in 1959.

 

John Leslie Granger died in Durban on 9 September 1974.