Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of the late George and Fanny Grudgings. The 1911 census records, Fanny Grudgings, Head of the family and a Shopkeeper, born 1857 in Kirby Muxloe, Leicestershire. The children were, Gertrude Sharp, Married, born 1878 in Leicester, Annie, an Assistant Teacher, born 1887 in Leicester, Laura, an Assistant Teacher, born 1889 in Leicester, Grace, born 1892 in Ratby, Leicestershire and Claude, a Boot and Shoe Warehouseman, born 1895 in Ratby, Leicestershire. The family were residing at Main Street, Ratby, Leicestershire. On the 31st January 1920 the Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys in Leicester published a Roll of Honour of former pupils, this records that Claude attended the school between the years 1907 and 1909. The War Diary for today records. At noon our artillery started to bombard. At 1.00pm our smoke and gas started. At 1.50pm smoke and gas stopped. At 2.00pm artillery lifted and Battn assaulted the HOHENZOLLERN REDOUBT. Lt Col R. E. MARTIN was wounded early but remained in the fire trench directing operations for nearly 24 hours and until -?- to the dressing station by Brig Gen KEMP. All officers of the Battn either killed or wounded. The War Diary entry for the following day the 14th October records. In the evening the Battn was relieved by part of the 139th Bde and went back to the LANCASHIRE TRENCH. Roll call revealed that 188 NCO’s and men returned. The Official History of the War – Military Operations (France and Belgium 1915 Volume II) provided the following statistics for the 1st/4th Battn Leicestershire Regiment, officers killed 20, other ranks killed 453. Total losses for the day were 138th Bde 64 officers and 1,476 other ranks. 137th Bde 68 officers and 1,478 other ranks.