Douglas Grant
Born 26 Apr 1970 - Died 19 Aug 2011
- Service number
- P754045 AWMM
- Also known as
- Duggy AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- Corporal/Military AWMM Special Air Service (SAS) AWMM
- War
- Regular Military Service AWMM
- Peacekeeping AWMM
- Afghanistan AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- Douglas AWMM
- Surname
- Grant AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- Duggy AWMM
- Service number
- P754045 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
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- Religion
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Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 26 Apr 1970 AWMM
- Date of birth
- 26 April 1970Public - Calum - Sibling - 9 May 2018 - Family history
- Place of birth
- Lower Hutt, WellingtonPublic - Calum - Sibling - 9 May 2018 - Family history
- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
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- Post war occupation
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- Next of kin
- —
- Relationship status
- Married AWMM
Wife - Tina Grant, 2 children - Jemma and Jaden (0278989590) AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- Regular Military Service AWMM
- Peacekeeping AWMM
- Afghanistan AWMM
- Campaign
- Bosnia and Herzegovina AWMM
- East Timor (Timor-Leste) AWMM
- Afghanistan 2001- AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- P754045 AWMM
- Military service
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
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- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
- Soldier/Military AWMM
- Age on enlistment
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- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- New Zealand Territorial Force AWMM
- Regular Force AWMM
2nd Embarkation AWMM - Peacekeeping United Nations Protection Force AWMM
3rd Embarkation AWMM - Peacekeeping International Force East Timor (INTERFET) AWMM
4th Embarkation AWMM - New Zealand Special Air Service (NZSAS) AWMM International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) AWMM
5th Embarkation AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
- Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- Corporal/Military AWMM
Special Air Service (SAS) AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Killed when he and other New Zealand troops attempted to free hostages following a Taleban attack at the British Council diplomatic offices in Kabul on Friday 19 August 2011 (NZT).
This was his second tour of Afghanistan.
He was the first soldier serving with the New Zealand forces to be killed in combat in Afghanistan.
Corporal Douglas “Duggy” Grant (P754045) served in the New Zealand Army across multiple operational deployments, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Timor – Leste, and Afghanistan.
He served with the Royal New Zealand Infantry, Royal New Zealand Engineers then was successful in gaining entry into the New Zealand Special Air Service. He served a total of 10 of his 21 years serving within the Special Air Service. Colleagues described him as steady, capable, and deeply committed to his role.
His deployment to Bosnia formed part of New Zealand’s peacekeeping contribution in the Balkans during the 1990s, followed by service in Timor – Leste during a period of regional instability. He later completed two tours of Afghanistan, the second with the New Zealand Special Air Service.
On 19 August 2011, Douglas was killed in action in Kabul during an operation responding to an insurgent attack at the British Council compound. He was 41. His death marked a significant moment in New Zealand’s involvement in Afghanistan and was deeply felt within the Defence Force and the wider community.
Douglas is survived by his wife, Staff Sergeant Tina Grant, and their children, Jemma and Jaden. Following his death, Tina advocated for improved long – term support for bereaved military families and helped establish the New Zealand Families of the Fallen Charitable Trust. Through this work, she has walked alongside other families navigating loss, ensuring that Douglas’s legacy endures in care, connection, and practical support for others (Profile written for “A Flight to Remember”, an Anzac Day 2026 initiative by Online Cenotaph and Air New Zealand). AWMM
About death
- Death
- 19 Aug 2011 AWMM
Age 41 AWMM - Date of death
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- Age at death
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- Place of death
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- Cause of death
- Killed in Action AWMM
- Death notes
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- Cemetery
- Western Hills Cemetery, Napier, Napier City, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand AWMM Beam, Sec 46, 2 AWMM
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
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- Obituary
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- Memorial name
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- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
- Auckland War Memorial Museum AWMM
Sources
- External links
- New Zealand Defence Force, Media Centre.
http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/media-centre/default.htm
Sources Used - New Zealand Defence Force 22 August 2011 statement 3
http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/news/media-releases/2011/20110822-nrnostkias3.htm
Further Reference - New Zealand soldier killed in Afghanistan
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/5482313/Soldier-killed-in-Afghanistan-identified
Further Reference - New Zealand Herald, SAS soldier killed by Taleban
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10746659
Further Reference - The Guardian (UK). Taliban launches bomb and gun attack on British's Council's Kabul compound, published 19 August 2011
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/19/taliban-hits-british-council-kabul
Further Reference - The Guardian (UK) news page for Afghanistan
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/afghanistan?INTCMP=SRCH
Further Reference
- New Zealand Defence Force, Media Centre.
- References
- Information kindly provided by family
- This record was part of “A Flight to Remember”, an Anzac Day 2026 commemorative partnership between Online Cenotaph and Air New Zealand, where service stories were shared onboard a dawn flight from Auckland to Sydney.
- Crosby, R. D. (2026). Keep calm we are coming : the NZSAS in action in Afghanistan, 2009-2021. Auckland: Oratia Books.
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