GRANT, William S.

War
1st World War
Date of Birth
Date Attested
Attested at
Clinton, Ontario
Original Unit
161st Huron Battalion
Regimental Number
654197
Rank
Private
Date of Death
Age at Death
22 years 11 months
Cemetery
Vimy Memorial - Pas de Calais - France
Cenotaph
Clinton Cenotaph
Clinton Legion Cenotaph
Biographical Summary

DIVISIONAL UNIT:        3rd Canadian Infantry Division
          9th Infantry Brigade
                                             58th Battalion – British Columbia
                                             Canadian Infantry Corps
SERVICE NO:                   654197
RESIDENCE:                    Clinton – Ontario 
DATE OF BIRTH:            April 26, 1894
                                             Clinton – Goderich Township – County of Huron - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH:           April 6, 1917                        22 years     11 months
MEMORIAL:                    Vimy Memorial – Vimy –
                                             Pas de Calais – France.
PARENT:                           Mrs. Lydia Grant – Clinton – Ontario
Occupation:                        Farmer.                                 Religion:     Methodist.
Enlistment:                         Clinton – January 10, 1916 – 161st Huron Battalion                   
Enlistment Age:                 21 years.     8 months

Like his brother Arthur, Private Grant goes to France on November 30, 1916. Both brothers arrive at the 3rd Canadian Engineers and arrive on December 23, 1916. This was in all likelihood the last time they saw one another. He left for his unit on January 4, 1917and arrived with his unit the same day.
Private Grant had been reported missing after going out on a work party during the night of April 6, 1917. This was a full three days before the attack on Vimy Ridge began. Three men lost their lives.
The weather in the day was north-west winds at 5mph under rain and it remained so all day and into the night.
It was noticed that the artillery fire on the enemy positions was becoming more intense
During the evening, the Brigade moved from Villers-au-Bois to Quarry Line.
From our research of looking at Private Grant’s file we know there is no medical information available. In cases such as this it usually means the man was killed in action on the field. We looked at the war diaries of the 58th Battalion and the 9th Infantry Brigade and there is that no mention anywhere the circumstances of the death of Private Grant.
He left on a work party and did not return and was said to be missing in action and this was later revised to killed in action. He was never located.