William Reynolds was born in Kent County, England, on October 9, 1892. He came from England to Canada when he was a small boy and was raised at Vyner, Ontario. He would later come to Sarnia, making his home with Mrs. Frederick Sproule at 115 Mitton Street, Sarnia. Prior to enlisting, William, an active worker in the Salvation Army, was promoted to Lieutenant, and stationed at Leamington and Goderich. William enlisted April 11, 1916 in Sarnia with the 149th Battalion. He recorded his next of kin as “Mrs. Frederick Sproule, guardian.” He also listed his occupation as Officer in Salvation Army and his marital status as single. He would later be discharged at Camp Borden from the 149th, but enlisted as a stretcher bearer with the 18th Battalion. He became a member of the Army, Canadian Infantry, Western Ontario Regiment, 18th Battalion, with the rank of Private, only three days before it left for overseas.
On August 9, 1918, William Reynolds would lose his life as a result of wounds received while fighting in France at the Battle of Amiens, during Canada’s final Hundred Days Campaign. William Reynolds would later be officially listed as, Died of Wounds. While taking part in operations east of Amiens, on August 8th, 1918, he was severely wounded in the chest by enemy machine gun bullets. His wounds were dressed and he was taken to No. 5 Casualty Clearing Station where he died the following day. In August of 1918, his next of kin in Sarnia would receive the following telegram:
Mrs. Fred Sproule, 115 Mitton Street, Sarnia, Ont.
Deeply regret to inform you 845197, Pte. Wm. Henry Reynolds, Infantry, officially reported died of wounds, 5th Canadian Clearing station August 9th, 1918 gunshot wounds to chest.
In late August of 1918, over 400 local citizens joined the Salvation Army in a packed memorial service at the citadel for William Reynolds. The following is an excerpt of the address given by Captain Ashby, commander of the Sarnia Salvation Army Corps:
Sarnia’s first Salvationist, William Reynolds has fallen in the fight for liberty and freedom “Somewhere in France.” ‘Billie’ died of wounds on August 9th, 1918, from gunshot wounds in the chest, and there is no doubt he would be trying to help some mother’s boy when he received the fatal shot. He enlisted during 1916 in the 149th Battalion but was rejected for further service in the fall of the same year as medically unfit, but on returning here again felt that God had special work for him to do. “If only I could get into the trenches as a stretcher bearer just think of how much I could do for Jesus”, was a frequent saying of his and so he tried again and proceeded overseas as a stretcher bearer in the 18th. As a man in khaki, he took every opportunity to work for his Master and there are many who will thank God that he enlisted. The writer would like to bear witness to his work when at Camp Borden, open air services were conducted at every chance that came his way and it was not a matter of entertaining the boys but always the leading of them to his Saviour and many sought and found Jesus in that camp, thank God….
In mid-November of 1918, a special service was held at the Salvation Army, in which a memorial tablet was unveiled by Colonel John Rawling, Divisional Commander for the London division, in memory of Private William Reynolds. The tablet commemorated William’s death on August 9th, 1918 and, by then, more details of his death had been released:
A young man named Billings found young Reynolds lying in a shell hole badly wounded and asked him if there was anything he could do for him. Willie’s last reply was, “Yes, write to my mother and tell her I was not afraid of death and I was game to the last.”
Twenty-five year old William Reynolds is buried in Crouy British Cemetery, Crouy-Sur-Somme, Somme, France, Grave VI.A.13. William Reynolds was the first member of local Sarnia Salvation Army Congregation to lose his life in the War.
SOURCES: A, B, C, D, E, F, L, N, 2C, 2D, 2G