Born on 16 December 1898 in Poplar, London, William Edwin was the first born of William Thomas and Ada Janet (née Clifton) Shepherd. A sister Ada Louise (1900) and a brother Eric Walter (1905) joined the family and all have birth registration in Poplar, London. In the 1911 census the family are now registered as living in 3, Gerald Road, West Ham, London, Essex. This 1911 census is the last recorded event where the family are together. The father died in 1927 and Ada Janet lived in the same area until she died 1958.

William Edwin Shepherd joined the Royal Navy on Friday 12 March 1915 when he arrived in Devonport for HMS IMPREGNABLE, the boy training ship, for his 16 week Part 1 training. Selected for the communications branch he was rated Boy Telegraphist on 26 June 1915 and drafted to HMS VERNON on 25 July for two months for further training. He joined HMS MAIDSTONE for HMS E5 on 17 September 1915 and was on many patrols in the North Sea.

In March 1916 E5 disappeared and was not found until 2016 when a Dutch diving team confirmed her identity, reporting the hull was in good condition with both hatches open.

There were no survivors.

William Shepherd is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial on Panel 17.