William Herbert McBain was born in Ballarat and was a Miner by trade when he enlisted in the 31st Battalion, D Company on 12 July 1915 at the age of 22. His unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A62 Wandilla on 9 November 1915 and sailed via Egypt to France where he disembarked at Marseilles on June 23rd 1916. On August 17th he was disciplined æfor using obscene language to a superior officer'. He was wounded in action on October 28th and hospitalised in France suffering from æshell shock and contused right shoulder'. He rejoined his unit in mid-August 1917 and saw out the remainder of the war without major incident. He returned to Australia on the Derbyshire but en route was admitted to the ship's hospital suffering from heat stroke. He disembarked at Melbourne on April 22nd 1919.
Tree No. 1408