Willian Rohen was 25 years and three months old when he enlisted at East Melbourne on 29/6/1915. He was employed as a coaler and gave his next of kin as his mother, then living in Abbotsford St. North Melbourne.  he was sent to France with the 58th Battalion. His military record is marked by bouts of absenteeism, first for three days from 14/3/16 to  17/3/16. He had time in hospital for venereal disease on 5/5/17, and went absent for a period of 121 days from 19 June that year. On 27/5/1918, he was returned to England with pleurisy and went awol again and was arrested and sent to trial on 26/8/1918. On 13/10/1918, he was returned to his regiment, still under charge, but was sent back from France to Britain to face trial on 9/1/19. He pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to two years' jail, first in Horwich Prison, then Wormwood Scrubs. On 7/8/1919, he was released from Wormwood Scrubs and sent to Lewes Detention Centre for safe custody, before being returned to Australia on the Euripides, the same ship he had travelled in to France. His sentence was remitted and he reached home on 6/9/1919.