Lance Corporal William Banks

William was born in Old Swan, Liverpool, in Lancashire c.1887. No information could be found relating to William’s earlier life.

Sometime between Oct-Dec 1913 he married Catherine E Reynolds in Ludlow Shropshire.

William enlisted in Ludlow, Shropshire in November 1914 for the Shropshire Light Infantry, 6th Battalion as a Private. By the time of his death had been promoted to Lance-corporal.

Whilst doing his training at Aldershot he was billeted near Farnham where in March of 1915 meet a local girl called Edith Manning who was working as a servant. On leaving Farnham he kept in touch with Edith by writing to her every fortnight. He never told her he was married.

He went to the front in France in July 1915.

On October 29th that year, he came home on leave to see his wife Catherine. At the end of his leave on 5th November Catherine saw him off by train. William was due to return to France via Victoria that evening. Catherine said that he seemed very depressed at the idea of returning to the front to resume fighting, saying it was like hell itself out there, and complained of the insufficiency of food.

On taking leave from his wife it appears William made his way to Esher to where Edith Manning was now working.

William committed suicide on Tuesday 9th November on Wimbledon Common.

At the inquest, held at St. George’s Hall on Thursday 11th November the coroner read out a letter found in William’s pocket dated Nov. 8th.- I missed my train and have not gone back to the front. My head aches terribly and I don’t know what I am doing. My nerves are gone, and I am afraid to go back for fear of making myself a coward, so I am going to do the only thing left to me. I have found a cartridge in my pouch so I am going to use it on myself, as it seems to me to be put there for that purpose. So good-bye, dear, and try to think kindly of me what I am about to do. It is past my control. They should not let me have come home, for I am no coward. I should have done my best to have done my duty, but I could not go back now or I should go mad for certain. Try and forget me. Remember me to mother. I could not go through what I have again, my head would not stand it, and I have no desire to live as I am fairly beat. So good-bye all. From a very bad soldier – that is what I can never be. God bless you all.”

Edith Manning’s photo was found on William’s body. She said she had last seen on the Sunday before his death. He called where she was in service and after they had taken a walk her mistress allowed her to entertain him to supper. William told her that he had stayed with a married sister while on leave. He left for Wimbledon at 10.30 p.m.

Edward Pocock, of the garage, Wimbledon House, Parkside, spoke of finding the body soon after hearing a gun fired at about 6.30 a.m. Going to the spot he found the deceased lying behind the bushes, unable to speak or move. Sergeant Elliott said there was a wound in the deceased’s head and his hat had been shot a yard from his body. As to money, there was only a farthing left on him. He had passes and several photos. Dr. Lowder Hill, police surgeon, said he found a wound by the left ear and another in the skull, the shot having passed right through his head. The Coroner said Miss Manning was not at all to blame.

The jury returned a verdict of “Suicide during temporary insanity.”

William’s widow Catherine remarried In the Summer of 1918. She married Arthur Waite in Ludlow Shropshire. According to a next of kin for William, a Mrs Nancy Vickers, she stated in 1919 that William’s widow had remarried and was not desirous of hearing anything further from the war office.

William is remembered at Wimbledon Cemetery at Gap Road