Dec 27, 1897

Born in Hereford England

Feb 19, 1916

Attested into the 109^th Battalion at Woodville Ontario

Ø  Number 725616

Ø  Next of kin given as Mrs Kate King (mother) of 19 Cannon Moore St., Hereford England

o   Later changed to Ernest King (brother) of 57 Albert Rd, Leyton, Essex England

Ø  Previous occupation given as Teamster

o   Later stated to read Mail Carrier

Ø  No previous military experience given

Ø  Religion given as Methodist

Ø  Posted to “C” Company

Jul 24, 1916

Embarked the SS Olympic at Halifax Nova Scotia

Jul 31, 1916

Disembarked in Liverpool England and the battalion proceeded to Bramshott

Aug 21, 1916

Sentenced to 5 days CB (Confined to Barracks) and 3 extra duties for disobeying an order and swearing at an NCO

Oct 5, 1916

Transferred to the 21^st Battalion

Oct 6, 1916

Arrived at CBD (Canadian Base Depot) in the Rouelles Camp, Havre, France and TOS (Taken On Strength) the 21^st Battalion

Nov 5, 1916

After leaving the base depot, Private King joined the 21^st Battalion at the front near Calonne, France

Dec 3, 1916

Admitted to No 5 CFA (Canadian Field Ambulance) with a sprained groin

Dec 4, 1916

Discharged to duty

Dec 8, 1916

Sentenced to an extra fatigue for having a dirty rifle while on parade

Dec 23, 1916

Placed in confinement and charged with negligently shooting a fellow soldier and killing him.  That soldier was Private E. Stringer, 210890, of the 20^th Battalion CEF.  Private King had proceeded to the 20^th Battalion billets in Calonne, France looking for a friend.  While stepping out of a billet with his loaded rifle slung over his shoulder, he stumbled and the rifle discharged, shooting Privat Stringer in the face, instantly killing him.

Jan 5, 1917

During the Court Martial held in Bully Grenay, testimony was given that Private Stringer was following Private King down the steps from the billet when the incident happened.  The testimony indicated the steps were in poor repair and a board was missing.  Additional testimony showed that Private King had just returned from the front and had neglected to remove the live round from the chamber.  He pled Not Guilty to the charge.

The court record shows that his plea was entered as Guilty and proceedings were conducted as such.

Found Guilty of Negligence by Court Martial and sentenced to 45 days FP (Field Punishment) No. 1

Jan 16, 1917

It was felt that an appeal would certainly overturn the guilty verdict and the verdict and sentence were both quashed as a result of the error in the proceedings regarding his plea.

Admitted to No. 5 Canadian Field Ambulance with a diagnosis that reads PUO (Pyrexia of Unknown Origin), a fever without a known cause.  This was sometimes referred to as Trench Fever.  He was transferred the same day to the No. 3 Canadian Field Ambulance where the diagnosis was changed to read Neuralgia

Jan 26, 1917

A note in the file states that he had been informed that his conviction and sentence had been quashed and that the record of it had been expunged from his file.

However, in reviewing the service file, this is not the case, and Library and Archives Canada still has a complete record of the Court Martial proceedings on file and available to all.

Jan 27, 1917

Discharged to duty from the field ambulance

Mar 22, 1917

Admitted to No 22 CCS (Casualty Clearing Station) with a fever

Mar 25, 1917

Transferred via No 18 AT (Ambulance Transport) and admitted to St John’s Ambulance Hospital in Etaples and the diagnosis was changed to read Bronchitis

Apr 6, 1917

Invalided to England aboard the Hospital Ship Stad Antwerpen

On arrival in England he was admitted to the Fort Pitt Hospital in Chatham and the diagnosis was changed to read Asthma

Transferred to the EORD (Eastern Ontario Regimental Depot) for pay purposes while in hospital

Apr 10, 1917

Transferred to the Chatham Military Hospital and the diagnosis was changed to read Myalgia

May 10, 1917

Transferred to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital in Woodcote Park

Jun 8, 1917

Discharged from hospital and attached to the 3^rd CCD (Canadian Command Depot) for physical training

Aug 23, 1917

Discharged from hospital care and transferred to the 6^th Reserve Battalion in Seaford

Sep 22, 1917

Admitted to No. 14 Canadian Raven’s Croft Military Hospital in Eastbourne with lacerated right wrist

Ø  Claims to have fallen on broken bottle 3 weeks earlier and cut his wrist

Ø  Index and middle finger of right hand have limited movement and little sensation of touch or pain

Ø  Symptoms of Syphilis became evident while in hospital

Feb 2, 1918

Transferred to the 2^nd Eastern General Hospital in Brighton

Feb 22, 1918

Transferred to the Cherryhinton Military Hospital

Jun 17, 1918

Transferred to the 14^th General Hospital in Eastbourne

Jul 23, 1918

Surgery performed to free nerves that had adhered to scar from old wrist laceration

Aug 16, 1918

Transferred to Canadian Military Convalescent Hospital, Woodcote Park, Epsom

Dec 13, 1918

Discharged from hospital

Dec 27, 1918

Attached to MD (Military District) No. 3 at Kimmel Park, Rhyl, pending return to Canada

Jan 18, 1919

Embarked the SS Aquitania in Liverpool

Jan 25, 1919

Disembarked at Halifax Nova Scotia and proceeded to Kingston Ontario

Jan 27, 1919

Taken On Strength Military District No. 3 and posted to the Casualty Company in Kingston

Jan 28, 1919

Granted leave with subsistence until February 10, 1919

Feb 3, 1919

Medical Board at Kingston Ontario

Ø  Notes accidental wound to right forearm

Ø  Patient claims to have fallen on broken bottle in Oct 1916 (first hospitalization for wound was Sep 1917)

Ø  There is partial paralysis of left hand

Ø  Suffers from poor grip and weakness in hand

Ø  Board had no medical records to review and had to rely on statements of patient

Ø  Board recommends discharge as Medically Unfit

Feb 13, 1919

Signed form refusing dental treatment

Feb 18, 1919

Discharged from the CEF in Kingston Ontario

Ø  Discharged as Medically Unfit

Ø  War Service Badge Class “A” issued No 90172

Ø  War Service Badge Class “B” issued No 55377

Ø  Proposed residence on discharge – Lorneville Junction, Eldon County, Ontario

Following his discharge, the British War Medal and Victory Medals were sent to him at Lorneville Junction, Ontario

Oct 18, 1933

Married to Mary Elizabeth Hartnett (widow, nee Rahm) in Whitby, Ontario

William King worked at the General Motors Plant in Oshawa, Ontario as a Janitor and rose to position of General Foreman of Maintenance before retiring in 1963

William Victor King died in Oshawa, Ontario in May, 1969