William Victor Curran enlisted with the 48th Highlanders of Canada in Toronto on 30 April 1940. He trained, partly on the CNE Grounds in Toronto, and at No. 2 Canadian Infantry (Rifle) Training Centre. He was struck off strength of No 2 CI(R)TC effective 14 July 1940 to proceed overseas to join the 1st Battalion, 48th Highlanders who were in the Newdigate area at the time.

On 28 June 1943 he, with the 1st Battalion, embarked at Gourock, Scotland on Troopship Derbyshire to sail to Sicily and the landing at Pachino on 9 July. He was wounded after the battle at Assoro, when the battalion on 22 July was moving from Assoro to the Adrano crossroads. The troops were moving in open file, 5 yards between each soldier, when German artillery hit. He was SOS (Struck off Strength) to the X-3 list and sent to hospital in Tripoli.  In a letter home, Curran said he believed that it was friendly fire. “It was un uncomfortable feeling to have artillery shells coming from behind and hitting in front of you, uphill”. He returned to the battalion and was with them for at least part of the advance up the Adriatic side of Italy to Campobasso and the battles to reach Ortona. On 24 December 1943 he was with the battalion when they penetrated, unseen and at night, 2 miles behind the German lines, threatening the only roads that the Germans could use to exit or reinforce Ortona. They fought an all-round successful defence from 24 to 27 December 1943. When the Germans withdrew, from both the 48th position and the town of Ortona beginning on the 28th, the battalion began chasing the Germans, clearing the town of San Tommaso. It was here, on 29 December, that Pte Curran was wounded again and sent to the X-3 list (hospital). He did not return to the battalion and was out of the war.

NOK: Mrs. M. L. Curran in Bayville