Company Sergeant Major William M Kerr was born in Broxburn in 1919 as the youngest of three siblings. After the outbreak of the Second World War, he enlisted into the Royal Scots Fusiliers on the 15th January 1940. He would later transfer into the 3rd Parachute Battalion on the 18th of October 1941, where he was in B Company, 6 Platoon. He completed his parachute jump training on course 10 from 16th March 1942 to 27th March 1942. Interestingly, this was a course full of men from the 4th Battalion, but Kerr was added in.  

Kerr flew with the 3rd Parachute Battalion to North Africa in November 1942.  He would drop with them over Bone Airfield on November 12th before spending several months in the field pushing the Germans out of North Africa. It was in January 1943 during the Battle of Djebel Azzag (also known as the battle of Green Hill) that he was decorated with the Military Medal for an act of extreme bravery which would leave him with lifelong injuries. This action was recorded in the 3rd Parachute Battalion's war diary as follows:

"[5th January] 1900 CO gives orders for night attack on point 396. 2330 - B Company moves off for attack. 6th January 0030 - Artillery barrage for 30 minutes on point 396. 0110 - Enemy opens fire. 0145 - B Company assault point 396 from the north. Neutralised seven machine gun posts north of objective. Unable to make point 396. Lieutenant W. Blewitt killed. 0300 - Enemy counter-attacked. Attack driven off. 0330 - Enemy counter-attacked. 0345 - B Company forced to withdraw".

CSM Kerr was then personally recommended for the Military Medal by the 3rd Battalion CO, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Geoffrey Pine-Coffin, and it was awarded on 23rd September 1943. The citation for Kerr's Military Medal reveals more about what happened at point 396:

"On the night of 5/6 Jan. 43. in the hills North West of MATEUR, this N.C.O. accompanied his platoon commander in stalking three enemy M.G. posts which were holding up the advance of the company. The platoon commander [Lt William Blewitt] was killed by the fire from the second post but Sgt Kerr, who was then only ten yards from the post, killed the gunner with a shot from his rifle. At the same time a grenade was thrown from the post and burst between Sgt Kerr's legs, wounding him five times in the legs and also in the head. Despite his injuries this N.C.O. crawled right up to the post and neutralised it with a grenade; The company attack was not successful and it was not possible for the stretcher bearers to reach Sgt Kerr; during the remainder of the night however this N.C.O. dragged himself to a position of cover from which he was later recovered. Whilst waiting for the stretcher bearers he observed the enemy movements and gun positions and was able to give valuable and accurate information when he was brought in". 

After the traumatic experience at Green Hill, Kerr was left with serious wounds recovering in a North African hospital for a year, never returning to frontline service. His left leg in particular was very badly damaged and he was downgraded from a medical class A1 to class B7, whilst receiving no army pension. His sister Elizabeth recalled how "He was a very proud independent man and would prefer to try to make a living than ask for help". CSM Kerr was sent home on the 9th of December 1943 and was eventually released to the Army reserves on the 28th of May 1946. After the war, he ran a series of businesses whilst still struggling with his injuries, for which he regularly took painkillers and which prohibited him from doing manual work. In his spare time, he was a keen follower of horse and greyhound racing. He remained unmarried, and died on Saturday 19th January 1985, aged 66, at Crosshouse Hospital, Irvine. Just a week after his death he was due to have an operation on his wounded leg. CSM Kerr was survived by his mother, brother and sister, who stated "He was very highly thought of by everyone who knew him". He left his medals in the care of the Airborne Forces Museum. 

Article written by Alex Walker with information kindly supplied by Ian Kerr, William's nephew.