63743 Private William Russell was a 33 year old salesman originally from Stirlingshire, Scotland when he attested into the 23rd Battalion in November 1915. He arrived at the 15th Battalion in early May 1915 in reinforcement draft following 2nd Ypres and was posted to No. 4 Company. Private Russell was with the battalion during its 1915-1916 fall-winter tour in the Ploegsteert area of the Ypres salient.
In April 1916 the Battalion was in the front line at International Trench in the portion of the line between two infamous locations, Hill 60 and ‘the Bluff’. On April 26th the Germans blew several craters in front of the trenches held by the 2nd Battalion on the left of the 15th closer to railway cutting in front of Hill 60. There was fighting for the craters all day and into the night with heavy German artillery and mortar fire on the Canadian line during which the 15th battalion suffered a number of casualties.
During the evening of April 26th he was killed in action suffering a wound to the head from fragments of an HE shell. He is buried in Woods Cemetery.
NOK: Mrs H. Russell (W) Callander, Stirlingshire, Scotland
