William Alexander Grant was born on Beechworth, Victoria in 1896 to William and Mary Grant (nee Keating. His father was born in Scotland in 1862 and mother in Waterford, Ireland. They married in 1894 at Sacre Coer, Kew. William was the second born of five siblings (3 brothers and 1 sister). His eldest brother John also enlisted for WW1.

When William enlisted on 3 August, 1915 he had 4 years Senior Cadet experience and was working as a wood merchant. The family were living in Jolimont at that time. He embarked (along with his brother)on the RMS Osterley from Adelaide on 29 September 1915 headed to join his battalion in Egypt. By February he had become ill and was admitted to hospital at Serapeum for a month. On 31 March he embarked from Alexandria with the BEF arriving a week later at Marseilles before moving towards the Western Front. On 26 July, 1916 he (and his brother) were wounded in action during the first major action in France at Pozieres, Somme Valley. The following day William was shipped to the UK on the HS Aberdoman to be hospitalised at Stoke-on-Trent for a month. He was discharged to Administration Headquarters in Horseferry Road, London where he worked until early January, 1917. He took 2 weeks leave in September during this time. On 6 January, 1917 he was admitted to Bulford Hospital, then transferred to Parkhouse Hospital to undergo 56 days treatment for Venereal Disease.

On 16 March 1917 he joined the No.4 Comm Depot at Wareham. On 6 May he transferred to the 1st Training Brigade in Sutton Veny. By September he had transferred back from the 65th Batallion to 2nd Training Brigade. He was hospitalised for several months prior joining the 8th Batallion in Havre on 18 November 1918. In January 1919 he to returned to England and embarked late March from Southhampton on the City of Palma, diembarking Melbourne mid May 1919 after whihc he was discharged.

Apart from correspondence in his Service Record indicating he was living in Aspendale in 1967, no further information has been located regarding his life post World War 1.