Bombardier Archibald Grant (1463105) served in 21st Battery, 8th (Belfast) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery during the Second World War. Born in 1905, he was the son of Dixon Grant and Mary Ann Grant (née Lee) of 11 Saunders Street, Belfast.
Dixon Grant served in the Boer War. Mary Ann Grant died on 20th April 1931 at the Union Infirmary, Belfast. The couple had an older son, William John Grant who died in France on 5th July 1916 during The Great War.
Archibald was the husband of Elizabeth Grant. The couple lived at 20 Chamberlain Street, Belfast. They had a son named Dixon Grant. Before the war, Archibald played football for Linfield Football Club. His days with the club came during the late 1920s as he played left half-back.
Before the outbreak of war, Grant was a member of the Orange Order and of Royal Black Preceptory No. 322. He also had an involvement with St. Patrick’s Young Men’s Bible Class. He enlisted in the Territorial Army in 1939 shortly before the outbreak of war and departed for Scotland for training.
Archibald Grant died in a motor accident on 21st February 1942 aged 36 years old. He was a passenger in a military vehicle en route along King Street, Aberdeen. The driver of the vehicle overtook another vehicle before colliding with an electric standard tram car close to the junction with Jasmine Terrace. The impact threw Grant from the military vehicle. He sustained head injuries and died on his way to a local hospital.
In April 1942, Sheriff Laing of Aberdeen imposed a £3 fine on 20-year-old Gunner Alexander McFarlane Smith. The charge brought under the Road Traffic Act was driving without due care, and the alternative to paying the fine was 14 days’ imprisonment. Prior to the incident Smith had been a model soldier and had 9 months’ military driving experience without fault. Sheriff Laing imposed the fact that this was a tragic accident with an unfortunate result, and that no blame was placed on Smith for bringing about the death of Grant.
Bombardier Grant’s grave is in Section E5, Grave 902 of Dundonald Cemetery, Dundonald, Co. Down. His headstone bears the inscription:
In the midst of life we are in death.