Roderick Grieg

Roderick M J Greig of the 2nd Battalion of the Honourable Artillery Company was killed in action on 3 May 1917 at Bullecourt, France. He is described as the son of John & Charlotte Grieg on his Commonwealth War Graves Commission (“CWGC”) entry. He is buried at Tilloy British Cemetery.

He was born around 1882 in Dartford Kent, according to his CWGC entry. His attestation form records that he enlisted in Kingston on 25 September 1916. He was unmarried and his occupation was stated to be a coal merchant. His address on the form is a little illegible but could be either 28 Knights Park, Kingston or possibly 28 Kingston Park. His Casualty Form B103 reveals that he embarked for France from Southampton on 24 December 1916 arriving on Christmas Day. He was originally declared “missing” but was officially presumed dead on 8 May 1918.

According to a report dated 8 May 1918 in The Surrey Comet, a memorial service was held at the Baptist Mission Church in Hampton Wick on the anniversary of his death in May 1918. At the service a tablet of white marble to his memory was unveiled at the Church by his family. Private Greig had been a keen worker in connection with the Kingston (Union street) Baptist Church and its Hampton Wick mission for almost twenty years. He had been the secretary and the organist at the Hampton Wick Mission before he enlisted. Apparently he also had been interested in the social and athletic side of the work making a wide circle of friends from his role as secretary of the Kingston Adult School Social Club. He had also been a special constable.