William (Bill) John Nairn was born in Buangor near Ararat on 16 August 1889. His brothers were Dave and Ted; his sister was Sarah. He is depicted in another image in Museum Victoria's collection - MM 000486, Negative - Team Portrait of Buangor Football Team, Buangor, Victoria, 1900 (date likely incorrect).

William was a a 28-year-old labourer when he enlisted to serve in World War I on 28 September 1916 - service no. 3217. His father had died from paralysis in July that year, aged 54; his mother Mary Ann Nairn of Buangor was named as William's next of kin on his attestation papers. William became a private and initially was placed in the 23rd Battalion, 18th Reinforcements, but principally served in the 59th Battalion. On 9 October he married Eileen Mary (Shannahan) of Corio at St Mary's Church, Geelong. Their time together was limited: William left Melbourne on the 'Medic' on 16 December 1916 and arrived in Plymouth, England, on 18 February 1917. During his service overseas William - or 'Bill' as he was sometimes called - wrote frequently to his sister Sarah, who had been married around 1914 to Arthur Jackson, to his mother Mary and presumably to his wife Eileen. (Eileen also farewelled her brother, James Anthony Shannahan (service no. 2753) - he lived at the same address as she, 'Hazeldene', Corio. James returned from the war in 1919.) 

After time in the 15th Training Battalion William was moved to France on 15 May 1917 to serve with the 59th Battalion. He received a gunshot wound to his buttock on 15 October, and was sent to England for a long period of recovery. By May 1918  he was being retrained for action, but was again hospitalized. One of his records says he was 'sick', another says he has 'piles', while a third indicates he was shot again, this time in the back and arms. Whatever the case, he soon recovered, and by 27 June 1918 he had rejoined his unit in France. William was back for only seven days when, on 4 July 1918, possibly working as a temporary stretcher bearer with A Company, 59th Battalion, when he was hit in the head. One fellow soldier reported that he had been 'storming a Fritz trench' (unlikely for a stretcher-bearer) when he was hit by a piece of shell and died instantly. Two other soldiers reported that he had been hit and taken to a dressing station where he died within half an hour. His place of death is variously recorded as Hamel (Roll of Honour), Villers-Bretonneux and Ville or Villiers sur Ancre (fellow soldiers). William's date and place of death coincides with the Battle of Hamel, which was commanded and led by John Monash and included William's 59th Battalion.

William was buried by Rev. L.S. Couston at Vignacourt Military Cemetery, France; his burial site was later updated to Mericourt L'Abbe Military Cemetery. His first cousin, Trooper Alex Nairn, service no. 1355, was also killed during World War I, in the Middle East. William and Alex had enlisted as two sons of two brothers.

His widow Eileen continued to live at 'Hazeldene', Corio, near Geelong. She received his personal possessions in April 1919, including three wallets, cards, photographs and religious books, and received his medals over subsequent years.

His beloved mother Mary Nairn died in 1920, two years after her son.

The William Nairn collection was donated to Museums Victoria by the Jackson family in 2015.

References:

NAIRN, William John - National Archives of Australia, barcode 7989771
SHANNAHAN James Anthony - National Archives of Australia, barcode 2753 8077978
First World War Red Cross Wounded and Missing files, William John Nairn, Australian War Memorial
Family Notices. (1917, January 8). Geelong Advertiser (Vic. : 1859 - 1924), p. 1. Retrieved June 2, 2015, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article130674855
Classified Advertising. (1920, November 17). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 16. Retrieved June 23, 2015, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4571226
The Riponshire Advocate. (1916, July 29). Riponshire Advocate (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved June 23, 2015, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article119571836
'Hamel: the textbook Victory - 4 July 1918', Australian War Memorial, https://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/1918/battles/hamel/, accessed 2 Sep 2015

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