Australian soldier. Service number: 1709. Son of Robert Buchanan (1839-1897) and Mary (1848-1935). He enlisted on Jan. 6, 1915, giving his age as 35. There is uncertainty about his true age; his parent's headstone in Australia states his age was 30, his stone in Gallipoli states his age was 34, the Australian War Memorial gives his age as 36. He gave his next-of-kin as his sister, Mrs. W. Stewart of Deniliquin, suggesting that he might have enlisted without his parent's consent, and perhaps inflated his age at the time. After his death, his brother James enquired as to whether he enlisted as a single man (he did), and whether he had prepared a will and in whose favour (no will emerged), further suggesting he enlisted without his family's consent. Later elaboration by the medical officer examining him the next day gives his as as 35 years and 9 months, and notes some vaccination marks and an appendix wound. He departed from Sydney on Mar. 17, 1915. He was diagnosed with gonorrhea at Gallipoli on Jun. 22, 1915, and taken out of action for one day. He was also given 21 days detention for hesitating to obey an order on two occasions at Gallipoli on Jun. 24, 1915. He was killed in action sometime between Aug. 6th and 9th, 1915, and his body was never located despite an intensive search to locate all unregistered graves in 1921. His mother was allocated a pension of two pound per fortnight.

News article in The Independent (Deniliquin, Australia) of Sep. 3, 1915: A telegram was received from the Defence Department on Tuesday by Rev. W. Tulloch stating that Private W. Buchanan, of the 4th Battalion, was killed in action at Gallipoli, between the 6th and 8th August. Deceased, who formerly resided in Deniliquin, was a brother of Mrs J. Cowley, Mrs W. Stewart, and Mr Jas. Buchanan, of this town. The Municipal flag was flown at half-mast during Tuesday and Wednesday as a mark of respect to another Deniliquin soldier who has given his best for his country.