Willie’s War

This book became a personal and at times emotional journey. I wanted to literally walk in Great Uncle Willie's footsteps where I know him to have been while in England, France and Belgium during the First World War. He served with the 2nd Auckland Battlation, New Zealand Infantry. The book is about Willie's life up until he died at age 30.

William was in the war for just under 19 months, fighting in battles on the Somme, Messines, Passchendaele, and the German Spring Offensive of 1918. It was in this last action that he was mortally wounded, evacuated to England and there he died from his wounds 25 days later on ANZAC Day.

His time in the Great War comes from my own research, cousin Ken Soanes providing the details of his life in New Zealand prior to shipping out to war and other facts known about him.

The book includes locations and photographs of the battlefields, both then and now, taken during my visit, should anyone else in the family wish to literally walk in Willie's footsteps, as I did.

Paul Watkins