Private
Wilson, William Ernest
Unit
54th Canadian Infantry Battalion
Branch
Infantry
Service Component
Canadian Expeditionary Force
Service Number
443675
birth
1874/01/01
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
death
1916/11/21
France
grave
Contay British Cemetery, Contay, France
Gender
Male
William Ernest Wilson was born in Ottawa, Ontario, on 1 January 1874. He was the son of William and Frances Wilson.
A farmer, Wilson enlisted in the 54th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Kootenay) in Vernon, British Columbia, on 28 August 1915.
Wilson died at No. 9 Casualty Clearing Station on 21 November 1916, after being wounded in the arms, thighs and face by a shell. He received those wounds on 18 November, the last day of the Battle of the Somme, as the 54th Battalion attempted to capture Desire Support Trench. Although the attack was successful, the battalion suffered 238 casualties, roughly 47% of its fighting strength of 512 officers and men.
William Ernest Wilson is buried in Contay British Cemetery, Contay, France.
