▁piano . ▁ ▁Despite ▁his ▁age — he ▁was ▁forty - two ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 4 — V aug han ▁Williams ▁volunte ered ▁for ▁military ▁service ▁on ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War . ▁Jo ining ▁the ▁Royal ▁Army ▁Medical ▁Corps ▁as ▁a ▁private , ▁he ▁drove ▁amb ul ance ▁w ag ons ▁in ▁France ▁and ▁later ▁in ▁Greece . ▁F rog ley ▁writes ▁of ▁this ▁period ▁that ▁V aug han ▁Williams ▁was ▁consider ably ▁older ▁than ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁com r ades , ▁and ▁" the ▁back - bre aking ▁labour ▁of ▁dangerous ▁night - time ▁jour ne ys ▁through ▁mud ▁and ▁rain ▁must ▁have ▁been ▁more ▁than ▁usually ▁pun ishing ". ▁The ▁war ▁left ▁its ▁emot ional ▁mark ▁on ▁V aug han ▁Williams , ▁who ▁lost ▁many ▁com r ades ▁and ▁friends , ▁including ▁the ▁young ▁composer ▁George ▁But ter worth . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁V aug han ▁Williams ▁was ▁commission ed ▁as ▁a ▁lieutenant ▁in ▁the ▁Royal ▁Art illery , ▁seeing ▁action ▁in ▁France ▁from ▁March ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁The ▁contin ual ▁noise ▁of ▁the ▁guns ▁dam aged ▁his ▁hearing , ▁and ▁led ▁to ▁de af ness ▁in ▁his ▁later ▁years . ▁After ▁the ▁arm ist ice ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁director ▁of ▁music ▁for ▁the ▁British ▁First ▁Army ▁until ▁dem obil ised ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 1 9 . ▁ ▁Inter - war ▁years ▁During ▁the ▁war ▁V aug han ▁Williams ▁stopped ▁writing