Regimental Number: V4874
Rank: Cook
Force: Navy
William was the third oldest son of Robert and Elizabeth (nee Paris) Burrows of Shettleston, Glasgow, Scotland. He was born on May 24, 1913. He had three siblings, Thomas, Hector and Alexander. Unfortunately, Elizabeth Burrows passed away leaving Robert with four children to raise. He subsequently married Mary (nee Sneddon) Pollock who was a widow with five children; Jim, John, Catherine, Alex and Mae. Robert and Mary had four children together; George, David, Leslie and Helen. In 1927, the Burrows family decided to immigrate to Canada and settled in an area known as Glen Leslie where they purchased the E ½ 12-72-4-W6.
Bill worked for various farmers in the Glen Leslie area and also found employment at Phil Lessoway’s Barber Shop in Grande Prairie. He enlisted with the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve in 1942 at the H.M.C.S Nosuch, a land-based naval establishment in Edmonton where he trained until he was transferred to the H.M.C.S Naden at Esquimalt, BC. Bill spent six months on Kinahan Island (located 20 miles from Prince Rupert). He was subsequently transferred to the Halifax Naval Base and lastly to the St. Johns Naval Base in Newfoundland. Bill was discharged on demobilization and settled in Calgary with his wife, Marie, and their three sons, Ron, Randy and Brian. William died in 1980 and was buried in Calgary.
Contributed by Wanda Zenner
Sources: Smoky River to Grande Prairie pp. 422 and 448
Information and pictures provided by Helen (Burrows) Horrigan who gathered the military information from her siblings.