Pte. William Anderson Lauther

193rd Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders)

Nova Scotia

Circa 1916

In this studio portrait photo, William Lauther wears a khaki balmoral with full length feathers and cap badge of the 193^rd Battalion. Note the 193^rd Battalion collar badges as well. The photo was taken shortly before the 193^rd Battalion left Nova Scotia for overseas.

Short Biography

William Anderson Lauther was born in Truro, NS, on January 27, 1894, the son of George and Rose Lauther, also of Truro. William was a student at King’s College in Windsor, NS, when, on April 4, 1916, he enlisted in the 193^rd Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders). He was assigned the rank of private with service number 901481. He was 21 years old.

William began his military training with the 193^rd Battalion and was with them when they relocated to Aldershot, NS, later in the spring. There they joined the other three battalions of the Nova Scotia Highland Brigade, and an intensive training program began. In October, 1916, William sailed with his battalion, and the rest of the brigade, to England on the RMS Olympic, the sister ship of the Titanic.

Shortly after arriving in England, the Nova Scotia Highland Brigade was dissolved and two of its battalions, including the 193^rd Battalion, were disbanded. The intention was to use its cadre of men as reinforcements for units already at the front. As a result, on January 23, 1917, William was transferred for a short time to the 17^th Reserve Battalion located in Bramshott, before being posted to the 85^th Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders) the following June. The 85^th Battalion, the senior battalion of the dissolved Nova Scotia Highland Brigade, had relocated to France in February, 1917, and was the only battalion of the former Nova Scotia Highland Brigade to see action as a unit. William joined his new unit at the front in France.  

In August, 1917, William was hospitalized in France suffering from trench fever, a disease transmitted by body lice. It was common for soldiers in the trenches at the time. Symptoms included high fever, severe headache, sore eyes and muscle soreness. William spent six weeks recovering in hospital before being discharged back to his unit.

In early March, 1918, after a period of rest behind the lines, the 85^th Battalion moved back into the trenches in the Vimy area, in front of Lens, France. On March 16, 1918, during this short period of relative inactivity, a German shell, exploded near William sending shrapnel into his left hip. The injury caused nerve damage that would affect him for years to come. William was immediately evacuated to a casualty clearing station and then transported back to England where he spent 16 months in hospital there. He was eventually invalided back to Canada in May, 1919 on the troopship Megantic. He spent another 16 months in hospitals in Canada, both in Halifax, and in Toronto, before being discharged as “medically unfit” on November 3, 1920.

Photographer:  Unknown
Ref. Number:  16-1 (5-2.4)
Image Information:  Scan of original photo
Source:  Walter Millen Collection, Great Village, NS