Bill was born in Battersea, but by 1915 was working as a butcher in Canada. He enlisted on 23 Nov 1915 for the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force. He was recorded as 5’ 7”, with dark hair and brown eyes and to be a Salvationist. He joined as a bandsman, a skill learned with Salvation Army band. Travelling to England as part of the 90th Battalion which had been recruited mainly from Winnipeg and was known as the Winnipeg Rifles. They departed from Halifax, Nova Scotia on the SS Olympic, sister ship of the Titanic, on 31 May 1916. On arrival the battalion was allocated to provide replacements for the existing Canadian Expeditionary Force, being finally disbanded on 1 Sep 1917.
He was one of four brothers serving with the Canadian Overseas Forces.
In 1919, while still serving, he married Edith Florence Simpkins from Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire. At some point afterwards they moved to Southampton. Possibly they moved out after the extensive bombing of the docks area in late 1940. He was recruited to Auxiliary Units at this time. He left in Dec 1942, possibly moving back to Southampton after the worst of the raids was over.The docks had been closed in 1941 and reopened on 6 Feb 1942.
| Unit or location | Role | Posted from | until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hampshire's Unallocated Men | Patrol member | 30 Oct 1941 | 04 Dec 1942 |
Stevedore Southern Railway Company, Tally No 1143
He joined Auxiliary Units in October 1941.
The Nominal Roll records that he was on the Casualty list dated 4 Dec 1942. This is not an indication of injury, but rather a military term for a list of alterations to status.
TNA ref WO 199/3391
1939 Register
Ancestry.co.uk