ADAIR, William Gordon

NAME:                        ADAIR                                William Gordon    
RANK:                        Private
DIVISIONAL UNIT:     5th Canadian Infantry Division
                                   14th Infantry Brigade
                                   161st Battalion - Huron County – Ontario
                                   4th Canadian Reserve Battalion
                                   Canadian Infantry Corps
SERVICE NO.            654308
RESIDENCE:             Wingham – Ontario 
DATE OF BIRTH:       February 28, 1897
                                   Wingham -Township of Turnberry – County of Huron - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH:      November 22, 1917           20 years     9 months
CEMETERY:              Bramshott (St. Mary) Churchyard – Bramshott
                                   Hamspshire – England
                                   L     D     15
PARENTS:                 Mr. & Mrs William J. Adair – Wingham, Ontario
SISTER:                     Mrs. Ethel Prast – Hanover - Ontario
Occupation:               Bank Clerk with                   Religion:     Presbyterian
                                  The Bank of Hamilton in Fordwich
Enlistment:                Wingham, Ontario - January 22, 1916 - 161st Huron Battalion
Enlistment Age:        18 years     11 months

     William was employed with the Bank of Hamilton at the Wingham Branch located at 221 Josephine Street at the time of his enlistment.

     Private Adair and his unit departed from Canada on November 1st and arrived in England on                  November 11, 1916. On January 11, 1917, he was in Crowborough – East Sussex and Taken on Strength by the Canadian Machine Gun Depot and Struck off Strength of the 161st Battalion. On January 24, 1917, he was Taken off Strength from the Canadian Machine Gun Depot at Witley Camp – Surrey and transferred back to the 161st Battalion.                                                                                                                                                                           
     Private Adair died at No. 12 Canadian General Hospital located at Bramshott – Hampshire.                                     
     Private Adair died from a gunshot wound received at 1:00 pm while he was taking special training preparing for active duty. He was operated on and at 3:20 pm he began to hemorrhage and died within a few minutes. 
     The Board of Inquiry stated that in their opinion Private Adair suffered a breakdown and took his own life.
     The camp where this accident took place was Witley Camp which was set up on Witley Common – Surrey.