Williams Timms was born in Byster, Oxfordshire and worked as a labourer in 1851 and attested with the Rifle Brigade on 22 Aug 1870, aged 19 years. Timms is recorded as being absent on no fewer than 7 separate occassions and deserting on 11 May 1872. He was tried and convicted of desertion and also of 'fraudulent enlistment'. Despite this, Timms was embarked for India on 21 Oct 1873 with the 4th Battalion and served in Afghanistan, and had his forfeited service restored on 21 Oct 1878 and was discharged on 1 Oct 1889.