B159825 Rifleman William Churchman Keith was born in Hamilton, Ontario on 3 May 1945, the son of George Donaldson Keith and Margaret Duthie. He had an older brother who lost a leg while serving in Italy and an older sister. He left high school after completing one year.

Keith worked at a textile factory in Hamilton when he enlisted on 7 March 1944 in the Canadian Army Medical Corps. He trained in Peterborough, Camp Borden and Debert before reporting for duty in the United Kingdom on 16 October 1944. On 3 November he was transferred to the Infantry Corps and for two weeks was posted to the Winnipeg Grenadiers. After returning to a reinforcement list he was posted to The Queen’s Own Rifles on 6 January 1945.

Rifleman Keith was killed in action during Operation Blockbuster on 26 February 1945. He is buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, grave reference VIII. H. 7. He is also commemorated with a plaque in the Church of the Ascension in Hamilton, Ontario.

His family had the following engraved as his epitaph:

GREATER LOVE
HATH NO MAN THAN THIS
THAT A MAN LAY DOWN
HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS