Private William Edward “Billy” Aubrey, 20 of Owensboro, Daviess County, died in hospital at Camp Coetquidan, France on October 27 of injuries sustained in a train wreck less than a week after his arrival in France. The wreck occurred at Gael, France on 26 October 1918. He was serving with the 113th Ammunition Train. He joined the Kentucky National Guard’s Company I, of the 1st Kentucky Infantry Regiment on 28 June 1916. He entered federal active duty with his unit on April 25, 1917. On 15 October 1917, his company was re-designated as Headquarters Detachment, Horsed Section, 113th Ammunition Train, part of the 38th Infantry Division. His unit was sent to Camp Shelby, Mississippi for training. On 10 March 1918, he was promoted to Cook. They left Camp Shelby on 18 September 1918 and set sail from New York on 6 October 1918. They arrived in Liverpool England on 18 October 1918 and arrived in Cherbourg, France on 22 October 1918. At the time of his death he was assigned to the Headquarters detachment, Horsed Section of the 113 Ammunition Train serving as a cook. Aubrey was one of 11 KYNG soldiers killed in the crash. Many more were injured. He had listed his civilian occupation as a motion picture operator before the war.

According to correspondence by Captain J. C. Hobson, Jr. of the 138th - At 8:50 P. M., October 26, 1918, while enroute from Cherbourg, France, to a training camp at Meucon, France, a train carrying the 113th Ammunition Train collided with the 138th Field Artillery, which had just stopped at the station of Gael, France. The 138th train reportedly had had mechanical difficulties in the trip up to that point.   Headquarters Company of the 138th occupied the last six cars of the train - the compartment and three box.  All six cars were completely demolished.  Other accounts report that 14 train cars were “telescoped” in the event. There are many conflicting accounts of the incident published in newspapers at various times with variation in the numbers of injured and dead and even the location of the wreck. The location had also been reported as St. Main / Mein and Mellistroit.

The men who were killed in the wreck were buried October 28th, in the U. S. Government cemetery No. 18 at Camp Coetquidan, France. Many were returned home in the years following the war. Aubrey was laid to rest in the Rosehill Elmwood Cemetery, in Owensboro, Daviess County (Area R, Section P, Lot 121 Grave N or M). His mother Alice Hagerman Aubrey was buried there when she died in December 1944.

According to newspaper accounts, Aubrey was one of 35 young men who had been at the Greendale State Reform School and who were pardoned at the request of Maj Thompson B. Short of the Kentucky National Guard by Governor A. O. Stanley so that they could join the military. Aubrey was sentenced to one year for “housebreaking”. A Shelvin Aubrey from Daviess County was also found in the Greendale list. He was sentenced to two years for “housebreaking”.

Additional newspaper accounts regarding Aubrey have been found.