William was born on 30 May 1914 in Cambridge to Alfred and Rachel nee Haldinstein. Rachel known as Ray was the daughter of Alfred Haldinstein, Justice of the Peace and Sheriff of Norwich.

William was educated at the Dragon School, Oxford, Rugby School and Trinity College, Oxford. While at Dragon School he won the Harrow history prize for two consecutive years and in 1928 he passed into Rugby with a scholarship and won a history scholarship to Trinity in 1932. In 1935 he took a First Class in ‘Greats’ and in 1936 a Second class in Honours School of History.
He subsequently became the naval expert for the Spectator and in 1936 he went on an expedition to Persia and published an account of his travels in a book entitled ‘The Wild Asses.’

Not long after his return from this journey he went out to the Oxus Valley to study Greco-Buddhist
remains, retuning via India through the Khyber Pass. He was also asked to address the Royal Society on the same subject. He was then appointed to the position of guide lecturer at the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich and also compiled a book on ‘The Thames.’
William then worked for the Intelligence Department of the Admiralty before he was seconded to the Intelligence Department of the Air Ministry.
William’s only sister Letitia worked in the War Office as a censor examiner and was also an ARP
Warden. They lived together in London.

On 20 October 1940, William was at home at 34 Campden Hill Gardens with his sister Letitia when
the house was bombed by enemy action. William died instantly and Letitia died of her wounds eight
days later.

The British Library holds a collection of photographs of archaeological sites in the Swat Valley owned by William.