838645 Pte. William Henry Gibbons was born in the Meaford, Ontario, on January 22nd, 1880. Married to Mabel Britton, the couple had one child, Helen, born to them in 1907. The thirty-five year old William was working as a fisherman when he attested to the 147th (Grey) Battalion on New Year's Day, 1916.
William probably lived at home until the Meaford Company mobilized in Owen Sound to conduct the final administration before the unit moved to Camp Niagara at the end of May. As the conditions in the Camp were wanting the unit moved to the new training facility of Camp Borden in late June. While in Camp Borden William committed some offence for which he received a day confined to barracks and forfeited 3 days pay.
In September the unit received their orders to proceed overseas, but due to an outbreak of diphtheria they were detained in Amherst, Nova Scotia, for over a month. The unit finally sailed for Great Britain, on November 14th 1916.
On January 1st, 1917, the 147th Battalion ceased to exist when it became the nucleus for the 8th Reserve Battalion, whose task it was to supply reinforcements to the 58th Battalion and the 4th C.M.R. Private Gibbons was taken on strength of the 4th C.M.R. on January 20th, 1917; just as the unit preparing for their assault on Vimy Ridge.
Surviving the first two days of battle unharmed, William's left arm was struck by shrapnel on the April 11th. Medically evacuated he did not return to the unit until late September. Soon after the Battle of Cambrai, William was hospitalized for inflammation of the connective tissue of his right arm. The condition took him out of the final phases of the war.
838645 Private William Henry Gibbons was struck off strength of the C.E.F. on March 20th, 1919 and probably attended the Civic Welcome held by Owen Sound the following day. William passed away on July 31st, 1957 and lies at rest in Meaford's Lakeview cemetery.
Credit and many thanks go to George Auer for the above biography.