William Arthur Grant
First Lieutenant William A. Grant was a Marine bomber pilot assigned to VMB-611.
He was killed in a training accident near Key West, Florida, on 14 February 1944.
Branch
Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number O-23016
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered
CONUS Loss
Because this individual died within the limits of the continental United States, they are not tracked by the DPAA.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
August 26, 1921
at Flora, IL
Parents
Reid Harrison Grant (d. 1934)
Hazel Blanche (Rogers) Grant
Education
Robinson High School (1939)
Millikin University
Occupation & Employer
College student
Service Life
Entered Service
May 7, 1943 (officer)
Home Of Record
204 East Poplar Street
Robinson, IL
Next Of Kin
Wife, Mrs. Mary C. (Slevin) Grant
Military Specialty
Pilot
Camouflage Officer
Primary Unit
VMB-611
Campaigns Served
—
Individual Decorations
—
Additional Service Details
—
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
First Lieutenant William A. Grant earned his wings and Marine Corps commission at NATC Pensacola in 1943, and was assigned to a medium bomber squadron (VMB-611) training for overseas deployment.
On 14 February 1944, Lieutenant Grant and crew took off from Boca Chica, Florida, on routine training mission that would take them over the Florida Keys. At 1415 hours, their plane – PBJ1-D #35179 – went into a spin and slammed into the water. Several ships witnessed the crash and hurried to search for survivors. The USS Lapwing recorded that “the plane had sank [sic] immediately and there were no survivors,” while USS MacLeish added the plane was “burning rapidly” before it “sank in 68 fathoms of water, and that there were no survivors.”
All five Marines aboard the PBJ were declared dead immediately following the incident.
Burial Information or Disposition
None; remains not recovered.
Next Of Kin Address
Address of wife, Mrs. Mary C. Grant.
Mary followed William from North Carolina to Georgia and finally Florida; she moved back to Robinson after his death.
Location Of Loss
Last reported position of PBJ1-D #35179.
