After a career with Swindon Town, West Ham United, Portsmouth and Preston North End, he played just five Southern League games for Exeter City early in 1913/14 before soon moving to Merthyr Tydfil. 

Initially enlisting with the Royal Engineers he was invalided out of the army and started work at the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich. Subsequently re-enlisting he became a Private in the 6th (Pioneer) Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment (Service Number 40391). 

William Kirby was killed on 3 October 1917 at Polygon Wood during the battle of Passchendaele and is buried at the Bard Cottage Cemetery north of Ypres (Cemetery Reference: IV.I.46) where there are 1607 recorded casualties. 

For more about William Kirby’s playing career see his entry in the A to Z of Exeter City players section of the Archive