William B. Derrick was born on the Island of Antigua in the British West Indies July 27, 1843. His father, Thomas J. Derrick was from a large planter family on the island. He attended a public school at Gracefield run by Moravians from 1848 to 1856. He then went to a select private high school for three years. He trained to become a blacksmith. After this, he went to sea. He enlisted as a sailor from 1861 to 1864. and served on the "Minnesota", the flagship of the North Atlantic Squadron, during the battle of the "Merrimac" and the "Monitor". In his naval records he was described as being five feet five inches and having a tattoo of "W. B. D." on his right forearm.