Mark Alfred Williams was born in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales.  He enlisted on 19 August 1914 at Eastern Hill. At the time he was living at 539 Victoria Parade, East Melbourne, a boarding house, just a few doors from Nicholson Street. He gave his age as 27, his occupation as blacksmith’s striker and his previous military experience as 5 years in the Monmouthshire Territorials.  He was unmarried and his next of kin was his mother Mrs E Williams, still living in Newport.

He was a stocky man, only 5ft 3¼ins in height, but weighing 11st 4lbs with a chest measurement of 39½-41ins. His complexion was dark, his hair black and his eyes brown.

He was appointed to the 6th Battalion, F Company as a private. He embarked with his battalion on 19 October 1914 aboard HMAT A20 Hororata. In May 1915 he was hospitalised with urine retention due to urethral stricture.  He was returned to Australia on 29 July on the same ship and was discharged on 22 December 1915, having declined an operation.

In 1918 he married Amy May Gertrude Manser.  It was to be a short lived marriage: on 16 July 1919 The Herald reported:
‘Mr Mark Alfred Williams, who died yesterday of Influenza at the Brighton road-emergency hospital, was an Anzac.  Mr Williams was Warrant Officer and Drum-Major of the 3rd District Guards, Domain Camp, late 6th Battalion. The remains will be interred with military honors in the Brighton Cemetery tomorrow afternoon. The funeral will leave 13 William street, Brighton, at 2.15 p.m.’

On 3 September 1922 Gertrude Williams wrote to the Ministry of Defence to complain that her husband’s war medals had been sent to England and to ask that they be withdrawn and returned to her. This was done and on 13 February 1923 she signed a receipt accepting delivery of his Victory Medal and British War Medal.