Michael Grant was believed to have been born in Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland, in 1879, and lived at 378, Great Howard Street, Liverpool, Lancashire, from 1912.
From available records, it would appear that he was professional seaman in the Mercantile Marine from at least 1903 and served as a fireman on a number of steam ships.
He engaged as a fireman in the Engineering Department on board the Lusitania, at Liverpool on the 12th April 1915 at a monthly rate of pay of £6-10s.-0d. (£6.50p.) and was granted an advance of wages of £1 at the time. He reported for duty on the
morning of the 17th April before the liner left the Mersey for the last time. His previous ship had been the Canadian Pacific steamer Missanabie.
He did not survive when the ship was sunk just three weeks later. He was aged 36 years.
His body was never recovered and identified after the disaster, and as a consequence, he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine Memorial at Tower Hill, London.
The Missanabie was herself sunk on the 9th September 1918 by the German submarine UB 87 in the Atlantic Ocean, whilst in ballast, on a voyage from Liverpool to New York.
Liverpool England Crew Lists 1861 – 1919, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, British Merchant Ships Sunk by U-Boats, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 334, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 15th December 2023.