William Falconer was born in Dumbarton, Scotland in 1911. He was the youngest of three children born to Alexander Stevenson Falconer and his wife Helen.

Before enlisting into The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders on 31 March 1928, William worked as a farm labourer. He served with both 1st and 2nd Battalions of the regiment, seeing service in both China and India, before being transferred to the Army Reserve on 18 December 1935.

On 4 April 1936, William married Williamina McKim in Renton, Dunbartonshire. Their eldest daughter, Margaret Lynn, sadly died at just three weeks old on 26 March 1937. Their second daughter, Helen Gourlay, was born on 19 April 1938.

At the outbreak of the Second World War Pte Falconer was recalled to the Army and was attached to No. 13 Docks Labour Company, which became part of the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps.

He arrived in France with the British Expeditionary Force on 11 September 1939. Pte Falconer died on 14 June 1940, aged 28, whilst serving with 4th Company Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps.

The precise details of Pte Falconer’s death are unclear, but it appears that he died of severe burns having been involved in a road traffic accident. He was taken to 9th General Hospital which was located in the chateau at Le Grand-Lucé. Pte Falconer was 28 years old.

William was one of four soldiers buried in unmarked graves at Le Grand-Lucé with his name commemorated on the Dunkirk Memorial.

Thanks to initial research by a relative of one of the casualties, further research by the MOD (JCCC) and CWGC established the identities and final resting place of all four soldiers.

William and the three other casualties had their graves rededicated in a military ceremony on 24 June 2025 at Le Grand-Lucé Cemetery, their final resting place now each marked with a newly inscribed Commission headstone and cared for in perpetuity.