Boyd Durrant

Date and Place of Birth: 1922 American Fork, Utah

Baseball Experience: Semi-Pro
Position: Outfield/Pitcher
Rank: Sergeant
Military Unit: Base Air Depot 2, USAAF

Area Served: European Theater of Operations

Boyd E Durrant was born at American Fork, Utah in 1922. He played baseball with American Fork in the semi-pro Utah Industrial League before joining the Army Air Force on November 5, 1942. “Boyd most often played left field,” recalls his wife, Shirley. “He was described as a powerful left-handed batter.”

Sergeant Durrant was based in Warton, England at Base Air Depot 2, and regularly played for the BAD2 Warriors throughout 1945. However, he shared little of this information with his family. “He rarely mentioned any of his personal experiences in the Service,” says Shirley, “other than he did travel from base to base playing baseball.”

Durrant returned to American Fork after the war and continued to play baseball in local leagues. “Boyd was approached by an individual,” Shirley recalls, “who stated that he was a baseball scout for the major leagues and asked him to try out. Boyd declined the offer as he did not take the man serious, but later found out he was, in fact, a major league scout.”

Boyd Durrant passed away on January 24, 1996. He was 73 years old.

Thanks to Shirley T Durrant for sharing her memories of her husband for this biography.

Created February 5, 2007.