William John Kilpatrick, son of William J. Kilpatrick of Corrimal, his military career was much like his football career, safe and non-descript.
Born and raised on the coalfields of the northern Illawarra Kilpatrick played in the lower ranks of the famed Corrimal Rangers, a club that really hit its peak in the mid 1950s when around half a dozen Australian internationals graced their ranks.
Private Kilpatrick, a miner, signed on for the great adventure in early April of 1915 and joined his unit, the 5th Field Ambulance Division (FAD), on embarkation in September. Early in 1916 he was transferred to the newly formed 15th FAD where he earned promotion to the rank of Lance Corporal. Standing only 5 foot three or 160cm, William’s life as a centre half would have been short lived given how physical the game was at the time.
Life in the 15th Ambulance Division however would have been just as physical, strenuous and stressful transferring the wounded from the front lines all day everyday. Exposure to the horrors of war would have been constant, but Kilpatrick survived the war and returned safely home in March of 1919. He never appeared on charges, was not wounded and apart from a dose of Parotitis he remained free from the biological ravages of war.
Kilpatrick returned to the coalface and lived out the rest of his life in the neighbouring suburb of Woonona surviving to the ripe old age, for the time, of 78. There is little evidence of football featuring in his life after the war despite the game flourishing in the entire region right up to the mid 1950s.