William Saunders Coppin was born in Ballarat and was a Labourer by trade when he enlisted in the 8th Battalion, 19th Reinforcement on April 1916 at the age of 32. His unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A32 Themistocles on 28 July 1916. He disembarked at Plymouth in mid-September and was attached to the 39th Battalion. 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 the Southwark Military 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, which he did on the Suevic, coming ashore back in Melbourne on June 7th. He was discharged in December 1918, æmedically unfit – fractured left leg'.
Tree No 3431