William Hildyard-Todd enlisted into The Royal Fusiliers before volunteering for airborne forces.He served with A Company, the 3rd Parachute Battalion and saw active service in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and took part in the Battle of Arnhem, during Op Market Garden.

Sergeant Hildyard-Todd was killed during a German Infantry attack on 17 September 1944, aged 24 years old.

He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Memorial at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, near Nijmegen.