The first Mediterranean casualty from the 48th Highlanders of Canada was Corporal William Stagg. He sacrificed his life to save that of others when the troop transport ship was torpedoed in the evening of July 4th, 1943. William was on board of the SS City of Venice when it was torpedoed after 21.00 hours north of Algeria. When the call “abandon ship” was given the life rafts were launched and everybody had to get on board of a raft. The raft where William was on was greatly overcrowded with men (it was designed for 18 men), so he decided to swim to another life raft which was nearby to lighten the load. When he arrived at a smaller raft he seemed not to be satisfied with this one too and left this one too. It is believed that he swam back to the City of Venice where he got on board of another life raft. This life boat was crushed by a ship which came to the rescue of the sinking City of Venice. William wasn’t seen alive since then and three bodies were seen floating between the two ships. William’s body was never recovered, so he is mentioned on the Cassino Memorial.

All was witnessed by Lance Sergeant Caldwell and Lieutenant Marshall Stearns also from the 48th Highlanders. They made a report about what happened to William. Later a newspaper article was written about William’s death with the statement of his Platoon commander Lieutenant Stearns.

William was born on the Channel Islands of the United Kingdom. He was born on 29 January 1915 on the Isle of Guernsey. On a young age he left for Canada and joined the military in the early 30’s. In May 1931 he joined the Non Permanent Active Militia of Canada with the Toronto Scottish Regiment. He also was part of the Royal Canadian Dragoons. On 13 September 1939 he enlisted for overseas with the 48th Highlanders of Canada. He was part of the expeditionary force which landed in Brest on 13 June 1940, but embarked for England 3 days later again.

William was married to Norah Charlotte Stagg and had one daughter, Rosemary Noah who was born on 18 June 1940. William never got the chance to hold his daughter as the battalion left Toronto for overseas on December 18, 1939.  After William’s death Norah remarried. William’s parents lived in Toronto and he had three brothers and two sisters.

NOK: Son of William H. and Mabel M. Stagg; husband of Norah C. Stagg, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.