In 1911 the Purves family were living at Toronto Villa, Woodside Village, Cargill, Perthshire: Father, William (Retired Drapery Warehouseman), b. c1853, Crailing, Roxburghshire; Mother, Agnes, b. c1853, Carnock, Fifeshire: and Son, William James (Scholar) b. c1896, Bothwell, Lanarkshire. Also living at this address was Helen Petrie Speirs (General Servant, Domestic), b. c1878, Dundee, Forfarshire. William Purves was educated at Perth Academy and Dollar Academy, where he was a boarder with Mr Craig and left in 1913.

William enlisted at Perth, and was a Corporal (No. 1585) Machine Gun Corps (Motors) 12th Light Armoured Motor Battery.

The First Battle of Gaza, 26th March 1917

This battle was fought on 26th March 1917, during the first attempt by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) to invade the south of Palestine in the Ottoman Empire, during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War. Fighting took place in and around the town of Gaza on the Mediterranean coast, when infantry and mounted infantry from the Desert Column, a component of the Eastern Force, attacked the town.

Late in the afternoon, on the verge of capturing Gaza, the Desert Column was withdrawn due to concerns about the approaching darkness and large Ottoman reinforcements. The 12th Light Armoured Motor Battery assisted the Desert Column in holding off these approaching Ottoman reinforcements.

While there is no definitive record of where, or how, William Purves lost his life, it would have been as a result of wounds received during this action. He was 21 years old.

Blairgowrie Advertiser, 21st April 1917

“BURRELTON"

“Corpl. William J. Purves, Motor Machine Gun Section, son of Mr William Purves, Toronto Villa, Woodside, died of wounds on 26th March. He enlisted in 1915, and went abroad the following year."

"Deceased, who was 21 years of age, was educated at Perth Academy and was a prominent athlete. Before enlisting he was an apprentice in the Perth office of Messrs. Maxtone, Graham & Sime, C.A.”

William Purves is also commemorated on the Cargill War Memorial, Burrelton; the Civic Roll of Honour in Coupar Angus Town Hall; the Coupar Angus (Abbey Church) War Memorial; the Dollar United Free Church War Memorial (and Roll of Honour); and the Dollar Academy War Memorial.