William Rees WILLIAMS

Regimental number29118
Date of birth7 January 1893
Place of birthAshburton
ReligionChurch of England
OccupationLabourer
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation23
Height5' 6"
Weight138 lbs
Next of kinFather, W R Williams, Alford Forest, Ashburton
Previous military serviceServed in the 2nd (South Canterbury) Regiment; still serving at time of NZEF enlistment.
Enlistment date28 June 1916
Place of enlistmentTrentham
Rank on embarkationCorporal
Unit nameNew Zealand Expeditionary Force, 18th Reinforcements, J Company
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Wellington on board HMNZT 67 Tofua on 11 October 1916
Final rankLance Sergeant
Final unit1st Battalion, Canterbury Infantry Regiment
FateKilled in Action 31 May 1918
Age at death from cemetery records25
Place of burialSucrerie Military Cemetery (Plot IV, Row F, Grave No 1), Colincamps, France
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records		Parents: William Rees Williams and Jessie Williams, Alford Forest, Ashburton
Other details

War service: Western Front

Embarked Wellington, 11 October 1916; disembarked Plymouth, England, 29 December 1916, and marched in to Sling Camp and reverted to Lance Corporal.

Proceeded overseas to France, 11 February 1917; taken on strength, 1st Bn, Canterbury Infantry Regiment, in the field, 14 March 1917.

Relinquished temporary rank of Lance Corporal, 14 March 1917.

Wounded in action, 7 June 1917 (gun shot wound, right shoulder), and admitted to 9th Australian Field Ambulance, and transferred to 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station; transferred to 26th General Hospital, Etaples, 8 June 1917; to England, 9 June 1917, and admitted to No 1 NZ General Hospital, Brockenhurst; transferred to NZ Convalescent Hospital, Hornchurch, 3 July 1917; discharged to NZ Command Depot, Codford, 20 August 1917; marched in to 4th Reserve Bn, Sling, 11 October 1917.

Proceeded overseas to France; marched in to NZ Base Depot, Etaples, 29 October 1917.

Marched out to Segregation Camp, 8 November 1917; rejoined Bn, in the field, 19 December 1917.

Detached to Divisional Signallers, 26 January 1918; rejoined Bn, in the field, 2 February 1918.

Appointed Lance Corporal, 3 February 1918.

Promoted Corporal, 11 April 1918.

Appointed Lance Sergeant, 25 April 1918.

Killed in action, 31 May 1918.

Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNominal Roll Vol. 2: Roll 43, p. 15
Archives New Zealand (Wellington), Agency AABK, Series 18805, File 22020066