Armand Andrew John Grant | New Zealand War Graves Project

Private

Armand Andrew John (Pete) Grant

Conflict:

WW2

Additional Information:

Son of William and Helen Grant, of Wellington City, New Zealand. Husband of Irene Grant (née Ringland).

References:

CWGC

Relatives Who Are Also Casualties:

William James Grant, Brother, Killed in action 05/12/1943

NZ WAR GRAVES

CONTRIBUTED

Public Contributions:

Submitted by: Stephen Jones

Relationship to casualty: !st Cousin x1 removed

Armand John Andrew (Pete) Grant. 280262, 22 Motor Battalion, 2 NZEF Middle East & Italy Armand was the second son of William Grant and Helen Watson. They had three boys, William in 1920, Armand i...n 1921 and Graham in 1931. Armand and William (Bill) had similar interests and were good mates most of the time. They lived in Hopper Street and attended Mt Cook School in Wellington. They played seasonal rugby and softball for Athletic. They were a popular pair who enjoyed parties and going to dances. Armand's mother had a thick Scottish accent and would call him “Pet”, so his mates thought his name was Pete. Graham, ten years their junior, looked up to his older brothers, they sent him letters and gifts from Egypt that he kept for many years. Pete started work with his father at the Miramar Gas Works but hated it and only lasted a week. He then worked for a gas meter repair firm. In 1941 Bill and Pete found themselves on the ballot for enlistment. Pete blotted his army record when he was demoted from Lance Corporal, due to absconding from camp to attend his brother's twenty first birthday in July 1941. The boys had a good group of friends and Pete was attracted to one in particular, an English girl, Irene Ringland. She was the only child of Mr and Mrs H Ringland and had come to Wellington, aged 16, with her mother in 1940. They announced their engagement in June 1942 and were married on 6 May 1943 shortly before he left for the Middle East. On the 14 May 1943 Pete left Wellington on the HMT Dominion Monarch with the 9th Reinforcements. Sailing via Fremantle, Colombo and Aden, they arrived in Port Tewfik in Egypt on 11 June. He settled in to the camp at Maadi where he joined his brother with the 22 Motor battalion. They were given leave in Palestine before the next phase began. After being pushed out of Greece and Cyprus, the battalion was now being reformed into a self-supporting mobile unit with a wide range of equipment and weapons. The North African campaign had ended in May 1943 and preparations were being made for the advance to Italy. The battalion left Alexandria on 19 October 1943 for the port of Taranto, Italy. They motored north from the coast to join the 8th Army who were preparing to cross the Sangro River. The crossing began on 26-27 November. 22 Battalion's turn came on 30 November, crossing the long TIKI bailey bridge towards the Barone hills, then advancing towards Orsogna. Pete's brother Bill was killed near Salarola Village on 5 December 1943 amidst a fierce battle that lasted a week. He is buried in the Sangro River Military Cemetery. Fighting continued in the area for the rest of December and into January 1944 through snow and blizzards. The battalion moved to Cassino in the icy cold of January 1944. Cassino had been reduced to rubble from the bombing and a quarter of the town was still occupied by Germans. The battalion were back on duty in March to occupy the forward post in the middle of town. The only shelter from the shelling was underground in the cellars, but the overall destruction made the fighting difficult. In late April they were relieved and withdrew to Zuparelli. Here they could rest and go to holiday spots in the South. In early May the main offensive began at Cassino. The battalion was sent into the hills north of Sant Elia Fiumerapido. After four days of fighting the enemy retreated. Between June and August the battalion pushed to Florence. Their next operation began at the Arno River in September. The 22 Battalion's section was near Siena approaching the heavily defended Gothic Line. The advance took them over many heavily defended river crossings before approaching the Fiumicino River which was both wide and deep in places with high stop banks and they struggled to make the crossing. On 17 October 1944 they attacked a position of enemy paratroopers. Two platoons succeeded but 8 platoon became pinned down by Spandau fire. Tanks were brought in and they were able to withdraw, sheltered from the mortar fire. In a flanking attack and under heavy fire the platoon managed to overcome the machine guns. Five soldiers were wounded and two killed, one was Armand (Pete) Grant. He was buried at Gambettola then reburied in Cesena War Cemetery in June 1945. 22 Battalion continued their part in the advance along the Adriatic Coast to the end of the war. Pete's wife Irene was now a widow, it is not known what became of her after the war. [Record since amended - NZWGT] Read More

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Casualty

Service Number:

280262

Name:

Armand Andrew John (Pete) Grant

Name variation:

Armond John Andrew Grant (BDM Online)

Rank:

Private

Date of Birth:

03 July 1921

Place of Birth:

Wellington, New Zealand

Next of Kin:

Mrs I Grant (wife), 61 Pirie Street, Wellington

Date of Enlistment:

Not known

Locality on Enlistment:

59 Hopper Street, Wellington

Place of Enlistment:

Wellington, New Zealand

Marital Status:

Married

Occupation on Enlistment:

Meter Reader

Unit:

New Zealand Infantry, 22 (Motor) Battalion

Casualty Details

Cause of Death:

Killed in action

Date of Death:

17 October 1944

Day of Death:

Tuesday

Age at Death:

Conflict:

WW2

Embarkation Details

Embarkation Body:

Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF)

Text in italics supplied by Cenotaph Online, Auckland War Memorial Museum

Cemetery

Cemetery:

Cesena War Cemetery

Cemetery Reference:

I, F, 2.

Cemetery Location:

Italy

Armand Andrew John (Pete) Grant

Public Contributions:

Submitted by: Stephen Jones

Relationship to casualty: !st Cousin x1 removed

Personal Tributes:

Casualty

Casualty Details

Embarkation Details

Cemetery