Civic Reception of Lieutenant John Grant VC (Filmed 1919)

This is a silent film record of the civic reception of returning World War I hero, Lieutenant John Grant. The Hawera builder won a Victoria Cross aged 28 for raiding several German machine-gun ‘nests’ — by leaping into them — near Bapaume, France on 1 September 1918. Grant’s citation noted he “displayed coolness, determination and valour”. Grant is wearing the NZ Army’s ‘lemon squeezer’ hat as he plants a tree and poses for portraits in front of the crowds and receives the supreme award for battlefield bravery given to Commonwealth servicemen.

2:23                                                                                                          3/10/24 

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