William George Grendon, was born in Hockley, Birmingham in 1893.  He was christened at St Saviour’s Church, Hockley on 30th September, 1894 – the son of William, a waiter and his wife Eleanor.  On the same day William’s sister Gladys was christened as well as his cousin, Charlotte.  The Grendon families lived in next door houses at 5 and 6 Guest Street, Hockley.

William Grendon, senior, was born in Malvern and by the 1901 Census, the family were living at 47 Lowe Street, Aston.  He was a still a waiter, working at a railway refreshment bar.  

The family appear to have emigrated to South Africa sometime before 1911, although William junior arrived back in the United Kingdom in June 1912, having travelled back from Cape Town aboard the Union-Castle steamship “Garth Castle.”  His occupation at this time was given as shop assistant.

William enlisted in the South Wales Borderers in 1914 at Worcester and landed in France as a reinforcement to the 1st Battalion on 18th May 1915.  In 1917, while on leave, he married Minnie Isabella Grendon in Malvern.  (The two could have been cousins, although some genealogical work shows they were not first cousins).

Acting Corporal Grendon died at the 1st General Hospital, Etretat on the 8th October 1918 from wounds received in action.   He had three years of active service in France and was 25. He left a widow who resided at Northumberland Cottage, St Anns Road.

Minnie Grendon married Frederick G Sykes in Malvern in 1920, and settled in Wychbold and then Droitwich.  She lived to be 90, dying at Droitwich in 1984.  

Malvern News 19/10/1918
Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929