William Gordon Perry (SN 1378) from Eastwood Street in Ballarat east was a 21 year old butcher when he enlisted on March 21st 1916. On May 27th he sailed from Melbourne aboard the Ascanius to join the 39th Battalion. He reached England in early July but in October 1916 a medical board recommended him for Home Services. Shortly after this he was transferred to the Australian Army Medical Corps at Bulford Hospital in England. His time in England was punctuated by a number of discipline breaches including absent without leave, neglecting to obey orders, making a false statement and using threatening language. He returned to Australia aboard the Carpentaria and disembarked at Melbourne on October 4th 1918. He was discharged as ‘medically unfit – weakness left knee joint’.