Born in Newmarket, Victoria, William’s mother was Cassandra Lee of Merrimae, Mirbu North, Gipsland, Victoria. His father was listed as deceased.
The 36th Battalion was raised at Broadmeadow Camp, in Newcastle, New South Wales, in February 1916 as part of an expansion of the First Australian Imperial Force, which occurred after the Gallipoli Campaign. The bulk of the battalion’s recruits came from New South Wales rifle clubs and along with the 33rd, 34th and 35th Battalions, it formed the 9th Brigade, attached to the 3rd Division. Working as a butter maker in Gloucester, William enlisted with ‘C’ Coy, 36th Battalion at Broadmeadow on the 24th of February 1916, aged 23 years 2 months. His records noted he had spent 3 months with the Gloucester Rifle Club.
Departing aboard the ‘HMAT A72 Beltana’ at Sydney on the 13th of May, the Battalion arrived at Plymouth on the 9th of July and spent the next four months training in the UK. Proceeding overseas from Southampton on the 22nd of November the battalion was to take up a position on the Western Front on the 4th of December 1916, in time to sit out an uncomfortable winter in the trenches. Over the course of the next six months the 36th Battalion was mainly involved in only minor defensive actions, and it was not until the 7th of June 1917 the battalion fought in its first major battle at Messines.
On the 27th of August William was detached to the Corp’s Signals School, Morebeque and after training, rejoined his unit on the 17th of September. After his return, the battalion participated in the attack on Passchendaele on the 12th of October. During this battle, the battalion managed to secure its objective, however, as other units had not been able to do so, the battalion had had to withdraw as its flanks were exposed to German counterattacks.
For the next five months the 36th Battalion alternated between periods of duty manning the line and training or labouring in the rear areas in Belgium, before it was moved south to the Somme to help blunt the German advance during their last-ditch effort to win the war as part of the Spring Offensive of 1918. During this period, William proceeded on leave to England departing on the 2nd of January 1917 and rejoining his unit on the 18th of January. Between the 2nd of February to the 3rd of March, he was again at Divisional Signals School.
Having been deployed around Villers-Bretonneux in order to defend the approaches to the strategically important town of Amiens, the battalion took part in a counterattack at Hangard Wood in late March before beating off a concerted German attack on Villers-Bretonneux on the 4th of April, where the battalion suffered greatly when the Germans attacked with gas. It was during this action that William was “Killed In Action’ on the 4th of April 1918.
No effects were found in his kitbag.
