His NZ File shows this is the right man.
1893 Jul 18 Born Dunedin, NZ. (from NZ record) and was the youngest of Agnes and Robert Williamson’s three children. Other records show that his father was Robert Williamson of Dunedin, NZ, and he had a brother Alexander, who was an accountant when called up in 1917
1915 Aug 15. At commencement of WWI, William was living at the McInnes Temperance Hotel, 3 Anderston Quay, Glasgow located immediately adjacent to the River Clyde. William enrolled into the Royal Naval Reserve rated Leading Deck Hand and given the service number SD2626.
1916 Oct 1 He was transferred to the Trawler Section R.N.R. and served at HMS Wallington, which was an Auxiliary Patrol Base at Barton-on-Humber that sent small patrol vessels into the North Sea.
1917 May 24. |He was granted a temporary commission as Sub-Lieutenant, R.N.V.R. at which point he was sent to HMS VIVID II for additional training
1917 Aug 19. Posted to the sloop HMS GODETIA for deployment on North Sea minesweeping
1917 Sep 18. He was promoted to Temporary Lieutenant, R.N.R
1917 Dec 31.. He was posted to HMS EGMONT and served on ROSINA FERIARI (a brigantine converted Q Ship) and hired yacht PAULINA.
1918 Nov 15 He was posted to depot ship HMS ZARIA in command of HM Trawler DALE CASTLE on minesweeping duties
1918 Jun 20 to Jul 12. Clearing mines, for which he was MID. LG 5 Oct 1918. He was in command of minesweeping trawler "Dale Castle" 17/02/1915: Requisitioned by the Admiralty as a minesweepe on 17 Feb 1915 and armed with 1 x 3pdr gun 1919: Returned to owners
1918 May 24 Promoted Lt
1919 May 2. He was eventually granted a free passage to New Zealand and was demobilised on 2 May 1919 on his home arrival. In an application to the New Zealand Government requesting pay equity with New Zealand Expeditionary Force equivalent officers, William stated that “being a seafaring man, and after my discharge from the Navy in N.Z. in May 1919, I shipped in a sailing vessel bound for London. On arrival there I sailed in the Western Ocean trade for 12 months. I then enlisted with the Auxiliary Division, Royal Irish Constabulary (ADRIC) and served in Ireland during the worst period from 18 November 1920 until 14 January 1922.”
1920 Married • Anderston, Glasgow, to Kathleen Gordon Fraser 1905– in an Ancestry tree, but wrong parents and
1920 Nov 18. Joined ADRIC with service no 1070. Posted to J Coy
1921 Apr 6 to 15 Apr on Leave
1921 Apr 16 Posted to Q Coy
1921 Apr 27 to 12 May on Leave
1921 Jul 14 to 28 Jul on Leave
1921 Nov 4 to 17 Nov on Leave
1922 Jan 14 Discharged on demobilisation of ADRIC
William Williamson returned to New Zealand after the Anglo-Irish War, settled in Dunedin and was employed as a staff supervisor. He also joined the RNZNVR as Lieutenant and served throughout the WWII period as staff officer at the Navy Office in Dunedin and subsequently as officer in charge. He was awarded an MBE (Military Division) in the New Year Honours list of 1945 for his war service, and would have also been entitled to the War Medal, 1939-45 and New Zealand War Service Medal.
1933 Jul 26 arrested - I do not know if this is him
1946 Jan 2
1959 Apr 15. He died in Dunedin on 15 April 1959 and his ashes are buried in Anderson’s Bay Cemetery, Dunedin Block 45S, Plot 74.
Age: 65, Last Address: COLQUHOUN STREET, COMPANY BAY, DUNEDIN, Notes: [Occupation: SUPERVISOR, Native of: NZ, Years in NZ: 65, Place died: DUNEDIN]
Also buried in that grave Kathleen G Williamson died 10 Dec 1987
Ancestry trees shows he married a Kate Fraser