William's Story.
William was born in 1883 to John and Catherine Bancroft in Runcorn who are found living in Liverpool in 1891 then moving to Warrington by 1901. William had a older brother Frederick and two sisters, Eva and Ada.
His mother died in 1910 and his father in 1902 so by 1911 William is living with his sister, Eva, and her family in Warrington. He was a bricklayer by trade and therefore it is no surprise he found himself as a sapper in the Royal Engineers. His grandad was Mathew Okell Bancroft.
Williams death was reported in the local paper and a letter sent by a comrade to his fiancee Miss Hariman, who he was to wed on his next leave, described the events of his death.
Sapper G.W. Jeffrey wrote " I am very sorry indeed to inform you that Sapper Bancroft was killed on August 16th about nine o'clock by a German shell, which fell among six of them and killed them all, also wounding 12 other men of this company. My comrades and I send our deepest sympathy in your sad bereavement, as he was one of the best. He asked me to write to you if anything should happen as we were pals and both looking forward to coming on leave very soon."
In another letter the same writer says that Sapper Bancroft suffered no pain, his death being instantaneous. We were standing talking about coming home on leave, also that you were going to get married soon as he arrived, and all of us were in the very best of spirits when they started to shell us. He said to me "Come on, George; and let's get into the tunnel." I turned round to get my coat and while I had gone they ran to a tunnel. I was just running back about 20 yards away from them when a shell pitched right in the middle of them, about three yards from the tunnel. I was knocked over by the concussion. As soon as I got up I went to them, but they were all dead, poor lads. They were buried together in the churchyard at. I made a cross of artificial flowers. l am sorry I could not do more for them."
William was called up on the reserve and took part in the operations at Mons, where he was wounded. His brother, Fred, who fought with the Scots Guards in South Africa, is at present serving in France with the Army Service Corps.
Compiled By Graeme Ainsworth