William Saunders Coppin (SN 5997) born in Ballarat, was 32 year old labourer he enlisted on April 19th 1916. Assigned to the 39th Battalion he embarked from Melbourne aboard the Themistocles on July 28th. In early November of 1916 he found himself in trouble for drunkenness and being absent without leave, but by the end of the month he had moved to the battlefields of France. On June 7th 1917 he was wounded in action when he received severe gunshot wounds to his thigh. He was evacuated to hospital in England, but while recovering he incurred two more charges for being absent without leave. In April 1918 it was decided that he should return to Australia. He returned home on the Suevic, disembarking in Melbourne on June 7th. He was discharged 'medically unfit – fractured left leg' on December 17th.