William Pass was born in Howick, Lancashire, in about August 1894 to William and Ann Pass. In his late teens he travelled to Western Australia where he settled in the Mid-West port city of Geraldton. Working as a shop assistant during the week, on Saturday afternoon’s he wore the white shirt and blue knickers of the Civil Service club, playing in the forward line during the 1913 and 1914 seasons (the club changed their name to Queens Park Rangers for the 1914 season).
Having served a short period in the 88th Infantry Regiment, William enlisted with the 11th Battalion as a Private in January 1915. He landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula in mid-June and is likely to have been involved in fighting around Lone Pine before being evacuated to Mudros, Egypt, suffering dysentery and debility. Williams rejoined his battalion in Egypt early the following year and, after a reorganisation of the AIF, was transferred to the 51st Battalion.
Promoted to Corporal, he arrived in France in June and within a fortnight had moved into the trenches of the Western Front and no doubt would have enjoyed a brief respite in hospital due to a sprained foot. The 51st Battalion fought in its first major battle at Mouquet Farm, suffering casualties equivalent to a third of its strength in the attack of 3 September.
William was reported missing in action on that date. Six months later he was declared to have been killed in action with a note on his service record stating he had “been buried near Thiepval by members of the 3rd British Cavalry Division, during October 1916.”
William’s remains were found and identified in May 1923 along with 13 other soldiers of the 51st Battalion and six unknown Australian soldiers. They were all reinterred in Avuley Wood Cemetery in the in the Somme region of France.