Sidney (known as Donald) was born on 13 January 1924 in King’s Norton, Warwickshire to Bernard and Dorothy née Cohen and had a younger sister Sylvia. Their father Bernard ran a ladies and gents outfitters and their mother Dorothy volunteered as an ARP Warden.

Donald attended King Edward VI Grammar School in Aston, Birmingham.

Donald was an air bomber on Wellington BK135 which departed from RAF Moreton-in-Marsh for a cross-country training exercise. The aircraft flew into an electrical storm and at 10.42 hours dived out of clouds to crash at Oldstone Farm near Ashbury, 15 kms west south west of Wantage, Berkshire. The seven crew members on board were killed.

A/G, Ronald Davidson, 1573660
W/Op, Donald Gordon Grant, RAAF, 432457
2nd Pilot, Peter Henshall, 1583433
Pilot, Allan David McIntyre, RAAF, 417714
Nav, Thomas Ernest Rhodes, 1623802
A/G, Bernard Sandall, 2223112

A tree was planted in memory of Donald in the Forest of Freedom in Israel.