William was born on the 14 March 1900, the second child of William Henry and Eliza (née Davies) Bignell in Catherington, Horndean, Hampshire. A sister Annie Elizabeth (1897) had also been born in the family home on London Road, Catherington, Horndean.

William entered the Royal Navy when he walked over the gangway of the Boy Training Ship HMS IMPREGNABLE  (ex HMS HOWE) in Devonport dockyard on 22 September 1915 as a Boy Second Class. On the 20  January 1916 he travelled up to Shotley, Suffolk, to enter the gates of HMS GANGES where he quickly qualified for the Telegraphy branch starting the course  as Boy Tel on 17 March with a confirmation as Boy Tel First Class on 13 September 1916. He spent another 4 months at GANGES before being drafted to HMS VICTORY 1 in Portsmouth on the 8 January 1917 for a 2 week stopover before crossing Portsmouth harbour and joining HMS DOLPHIN on the 28 January for his initial submarine training, then a draft to HMS MAIDSTONE based in Harwich for HMS E34 on 1 April 1917. He was promoted to Ord Tel on the 14 September 1917 then to Telegraphist on the 14 March 1918.

E34 hit a mine in the North Sea near the Texel Light on 20 July 1918, there were no survivors from the 31 man crew. Telegraphist William Henry Bignall J44209 crossed the bar that day with his shipmates.