Born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, in 1876, William Drysdale was educated at Loretto School before pursuing a career in the British Army. After graduating from the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, in 1896, he was commissioned into the Royal Scots. His early military career took him to British India and British Burma. Beyond his military duties, Drysdale was an active sportsman; during his posting in India, he played first-class cricket for the Europeans cricket team in the Bombay Presidency between 1900 and 1902. He also demonstrated personal bravery early on, receiving a medal in 1902 for attempting to rescue a drowning comrade.
With the outbreak of the First World War, Drysdale served on the Western Front, where he demonstrated exceptional leadership and bravery. During the First Battle of Ypres, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his refusal to leave his brigade despite being wounded. He rose through the ranks to major and was given command of the 7th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment in 1915. After being wounded again at the Battle of Bazentin Ridge in 1916, Drysdale returned to the front lines, only to be killed by a German sniper near Gueudecourt in September of that year.
