The Marlborough
Historical Society

William was born the 25^th of January 1919 in Marlborough, Massachusetts. He lived with his parents at 64 Hildreth street and was a 1936 graduate of Marlborough High School. He was a high school track star and after graduation played semi-pro football for local teams. Known as “Billy” to his friends he joined the Massachusetts National Guard and served in Company K of the 181^st Infantry Regiment. He was with this unit when they were mobilized the 16^th of January 1941. He served in the 26^th Yankee division on coastal defense duty in New England before volunteering for combat duty and was assigned to Ascension island in the south Atlantic. He was ultimately assigned to Company B of the 18^th Infantry Regiment, 1^st Infantry Division. The 1^st Infantry Division saw combat in North Africa landing at Oran, Algeria the 8^th of November 1942.

The division saw combat continuously for the next several months and participated in the Tunisian campaign of early 1943. The Division next participated in the invasion of Sicily and withstood very heavy axis counterattacks at the Battle of Gela. On the 6^th of June 1944 the 1^st Division landed at easy red, Omaha beach, Normandy, France. Moving further inland Billy and the rest of the 18^th regiment eventually participated in the assault on the German city of Aachen on the drive to cross the Siegfried line. During the attack against German positions on hill 239 near Haaren, Germany known as the battle of Crucifix Hill, Billy was wounded in action while leading his platoon on an assault against a pillbox. He would die of these wounds the 10^th of October 1944. He was buried at the Henri-Chapelle cemetery until his remains were repatriated in 1947 and he is buried at the Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Marlborough, Massachusetts. A street in Marlborough is named in his honor

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