Father-of-three William was educated in Maghull and later moved to Hoylake, Wirral, with his wife Florence. He worked as a Mersey river pilot before taking a post as second engineer on the SS Californian, operating between San Diego and Yokohama. He was then promoted to Senior Engineer on the SS Beune Ventura carrying munitions across the Atlantic. Ownership switched to the US Merchant Marine and William joined the United States Volunteer Naval Reserve. He drowned when his ship was torpedoed in the Bay of Biscay, off France. He is buried at Brookwood American Cemetery, Surrey. His name is on the family obelisk in St Andrew’s Churchyard, Maghull, but not on the war memorial.
