William Edward Stephens (SN 3686) from Albert Street Sebastopol, was just 18 when he enlisted, with father Simon’s consent, in July 1915. He sailed from Australia on January 5th 1916, on the Afric, to serve in France with the 58th Battalion. On July 26th 1916 he was wounded, suffering a gunshot wound to his right arm. He recovered and returned to the front line but the mud of the trenches took its toll and by the end of 1916 he was in hospital being treated for Trench Foot. On October 12th 1917 he was wounded in action for a second time, suffering a shrapnel wound to the scalp. In April 1918 he was transferred to the Base Depot Machine Gun Company where he saw out the war. He returned to Australia on the Orontes, reaching Melbourne in June 1919. He was discharged on August 22nd 1919 and died in June 1965 at the age of 68.

Lucas’s Staffs Appreciation of Brave Men, the original Avenue register, records his name as William E. Stevens.