William Groves was born in Melbourne, Victoria, on 13 April 1887. He joined the Royal Australian Navy as a Stoker on 17 December 1912, signing on for a seven year engagement, and was drafted to the London Depot. He was advanced to Acting Leading Stoker on 13 March 1913. On 28 February 1914 he was drafted ‘for Submarines’ and it is understood that he was part of the original crew of HMAS AE2 and that he may have been onboard for the passage to Australia.

On arrival in Australia, Groves was drafted to HMAS Penguin to date 25 May 1914. It was reported in the diary of Able Seaman Knaggs (also of AE2) that Leading Stoker Groves died on 9 June 1914. whilst AE2 was in dry dock at Sydney when a picket boat allocated to AE1 and AE2 was run down and sunk by a merchant vessel (SS Coombah) in Sydney Harbour. Two sailors were pulled from the water and saved, however Groves drowned before those on the scene could reach him and his body was never recovered. He was married, leaving behind a wife in Portsmouth.