Name
Edward Banks
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
26/07/1917
38
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
202698
Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 31 and 33.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
High Wych Memorial, Not on the Sawbridgeworth memorials
Pre War
Edward was born in Birchanger, Essex in 1879 and was the son of James and Harriet Banks (Née Sanders). Analysis of the census information reveals that in 1881 Edward, then aged 2, and his family were living at Bradley Common, Birchanger.
By 1891 Edward was 12 and still at school, but the family- parents, brother and 6 sisters, were now living at Bury Lodge Lane, Stocking Wood, Stanstead, Herts. Then before the 1901 census Edward moved out of the family home and was living alone at Old Cherry Farm, Bishops Stortford, Herts., with his occupation given as gamekeeper. In 1904 he married Annie Parker, in Saffron Walden, Essex. They had a daughter, Muriel Irene, born on the 1st February 1905 in Sawbridgeworth, Herts. Then by 1911 they had moved to Tharbies Lodge, West Road, Sawbridgeworth, Herts., Edward still working as a gamekeeper. That property had 5 rooms and the occupiers were Edward, his wife Annie and daughter and Jeremiah White, another gamekeeper, lodged with them.
Upon joining up, his family moved to 90 London Road.
Wartime Service
When exactly Edward joined the army has not yet been ascertained, but because of his married status he must have volunteered.
He served in the 2nd Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment and died on 26th July 1917. On that date the Battalion war diary for records that they were in the line at Zillibeke and a party 17 strong were returning to Chateau Segard, their reserve line, when the party was hit by a shell near Bedford House, 6 were killed, 5 died of wounds and six were wounded. Edward was probably among them.
He has no grave, as his body was never found. He was
aged 38.
Additional Information
CWGC records confirms that his parents were living in London Rd., Sawbridgeworth, Herts. at around the time he died. It appears possible that Edward’s wife, Annie, had gone to live with her widowed father-in-law after her husband has gone to war.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Theo van de Bilt, Stuart Osborne, Douglas Coe
