William Houston Low Thompson was born in Ballarat and was an Electrician by trade when he enlisted in the 7th Battalion, 2nd Reinforcement on 22 September 1914 at the age of 21. His unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A46 Clan Macgillivray on 2 February 1915. and sailed to Egypt to join the 7th Battalion. On April 25th, during the historic Gallipoli landing, he was wounded, sustaining a gunshot wound to his foot. After treatment on Gallipoli, he was evacuated to hospital on Malta. Unfortunately, in early June, his mother received official notification that William had been killed in action, but four days later her grief was interrupted by an updated communique advising that in fact he had not been killed merely æwounded – not severe'.

Once recovered, William returned to Egypt and served in different roles including as a guard at the 3rd Australian Auxilliary Hospital at Abbassia. In August 1917 heart trouble was diagnosed, and soon after he was moved to England and attached to the AIF Headquarters. Towards the end of 1918 he left England to return to Australia on the Leicestershire, disembarking at Melbourne on January 22nd 1919. He was discharged in March as æmedically unfit – disordered action of the heart'.
Tree number 288