William Edward Rogers was the son of Mary Rogers and the late Edward Rogers of Devonport Auckland, and was a butcher by trade. He enlisted as a trooper with the Auckland Mounted Rifles (A Squadron) and left New Zealand bound for Suez on 29 February 1916. He later left Egypt to serve in France with the 2nd Battalion, Auckland Infantry Regiment. He died of wounds on 15 November 1916 and was buried in the Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension Nord, near Armentieres.

In September 1916 the Auckland Regiment served on the Somme, leaving the Somme battlefield on October 7th, and by 14th October were ‘once more in the line’. The 2nd Battalion returned to the sector in front of Houplines. During this period Ormond Burton, author of The Auckland Regiment N.Z.E.F. 1914-1918 reported that the line was very quiet with few casualties. Possibly Private Rogers was struck by a stray bullet, or died of wounds received on the Somme during September 1916.