Jim Rolfe in his book Brothers at War (p133) writes:-

"Captain Bill Ross, adjutant of 27 Bn was a very special person. I will never forget him. I am alive today only because of a step he took at the height of the Gaiana Canal battle in April 1945. After sitting in Kangaroos, very exposed in the open country and under heavy enemy fire, the colonel ordered us to establish battalion headquarters in a nearby house. There were only a few of us in the room. I had installed the No. 22 wireless set and established contact with Brigade HQ. The regimental signaller had made contact by 'walky-talky' radio with the companies."

"It was a surprise to have Captain Ross, 'Crash' Ross, walk in for he should have been back at 'B' Echelon. He came over to me and said, "You've been having a bad time", I replied with considerable feeling, "It's a proper bastard!" He then took a step in front of me just as an enemy shell exploded with a deafening noise as it hit a weak part of the wall we were standing beside. Captain Ross stopped most of the shrapnel that would have hit me but for his fatal step. Everyone in the room was hit though my scratch was not serious enough to report. ... It was hectic trying to look after the wounded. Our supply of field dressings was soon used. The radio sets after that explosion would not work. We could not contact the M.O. Captain Ross died soon afterwards."