Private William Stanley Smaller was born on January 27th, 1896 in Hull, England. Private Smaller enlisted during the summer of 1915, at 20 years of age. Upon enlistment he declared his sister, Grace, in Streetsville, Ontario as his next of kin, recorded his current job as ‘labourer’, and it was noted that his eyes were blue and his hair was dark. 

            Private Smaller was sent to France and seems to have had a tough time health-wise. He spent months in and out of hospital during his service years, being treated for Inflammation of the connective tissue in his legs, Chronic Gastritis, Tonsillitis, Urethritis, and Catarrhal Jaundice (viral hepatitis A). Things went from bad to worse for Private Smaller when he “illegally absented himself without leave” on April 13th, 1918 only to be “apprehended as an absentee and returned to his unit” two days later. Private Smaller traveled back to Canada on a steamship in May 1919 (source: Library & Archives Canada).