When the Boer war broke out, William enlisted in special services with the British Army; he later became the assistant quarter-master general to Major General Hutton’s headquarters in 1902, earning him the responsibility for military intelligence, organisation of the forces and the development of defence plans; in 1905 William became the Chief of Intelligence for the military board of administration. In 1909 he was appointed to the first chief of the Australian general staff, and later became the Australian representative for the Imperial General Staff where he was ordained CMG (Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George). William established the Australian Military College in Duntroon, which opened on the 27th of June in 1911. When World War One was declared William was selected to develop, as well as command, the army force that Australia would send to assist Britain in the war. It was William who gave the new force its name; the ‘Australian Imperial Force’ (AIF). The British Army Council agreed with his recommendation that Australia should supply the British Empire with a ‘compact force’, and for the men not to be split up amongst other British units (National Anzac Centre, 2014). William served as a Major General and embarked on board the HMAT Orvieto (The first convoy’s flag ship) in Melbourne in October 1914 (National Anzac Centre, 2014). When the First Convoy arrived in Egypt, William commenced a training program for the 1st Division, as many of the soldiers in Egypt presented disciplinary problems. William led the 1st Division to the Gallipoli Peninsula, and when things started to go badly he proposed that his men leave the peninsula, however his request was declined. He regularly conducted investigations in the firing lines, showing little concern for his own safety. His carefree attitude and little regard for himself enabled him to do what was best for the division (National Anzac Centre, 2014).