113623 Pte. William Watt was born in Dungannon, Ireland on October 22nd, 1895. In his late teens he emigrated by himself to Toronto, where he worked as a teamster.
Attesting in Toronto on July 24th, 1915, a few months before his 20th birthday, William was assigned to 'C' Squad of the 8th Canadian Mounted Rifles and later arrived in England aboard the SS Missanabie on October 19th, 1915.
In January of 1916, William was transferred to Overseas Service with the 8th Infantry Brigade, and he subsequently joined the 4th CMR on February 10th, then operating in the Ypres salient.
William was buried by a shell at Sanctuary Wood on April 27th, 1916, and taken to the military hospital in Ypres the same day. Sent back to the UK, on April 30th, William was admitted to hospital in Gosforth, Newcastle-on-Tyne. From there, on July 27th he was transferred to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital, Bearwood, Wokingham, where he remained until May of 1917, when he was transferred to the 8th Reserve (Brixton) while waiting for transport home. He subsequently embarked the SS Carmania in Liverpool on August 26th, 1917.
The brief report following his Medical Examination at Exhibition Camp, Toronto, on December 11th, 1917, states that William had sustained "two casualties" and that he "was twice buried in dugouts." It also reports that he "was buried by a shell at Ypres" and goes on to describe the symptoms that today we would interpret as the result of a severe concussion as well as Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.
William Watt received a Medical Discharge on January 2nd, 1918. He later joined the Toronto Fire Department, where he enjoyed a long and successful career, rising to the rank of Captain.
On December 7th, 1921, in Hamilton, Ontario, William married Frances O'Brien, the sister of his best buddy and life-long friend from the 4th CMR, Pte. Stephen O'Brien.
William Watt died in Toronto of natural causes on March 17th, 1977.
Biography credit: William G Watt