Name
Richard Banks
1885
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
28/10/1914
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
L/6555
The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star (with Clasp & Roses), British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LE TOURET MEMORIAL
Panel 30 and 31.
France
Headstone Inscription
NA
UK & Other Memorials
Letchworth Town Memorial, All Saints Church, Orpington, Greater London
Pre War
Richard Banks was born on 1885 in St Mary Cray, Kent to Richard Edward Banks, platelayer, and Alice (nee Moore).
On the 1891 Census the family of parents, Emily (born 1882), Thomas (born 1883), Richard, Jesse (born 1888),Edith (born 1889), Alfred (born1891) were living at Fordcroft, Orpington, Kent.
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, Emily, Thomas, Richard, Jesse, Edith, Alfred, Minnie (born 1893), John (born 1894), Kate (born 1897) and Joseph (born 1899) were still living at Fordcroft, Orpington, Kent, also listed was John Pearl (nephew, born 1883).
Richard enlisted in the Royal West Kent Militia on 13 May 1902 as Private 4278 and transferred to Queen’s (Royal West Kent) Regiment as Private L/6555 on 23 Jul 1907.
On the 1911 Census Richard, a stationary engine driver, was listed as a lodger with the Crowther family at 4, Moira Cottages, Letchworth.
Wartime Service
Already serving in the Army at the outbreak of the Great War the Royal West Kents and Richard were dispatched to France on 15 Aug1914 as part of the 5th Division. They were soon in action, after long marches to arrive at Mons taking part in that battle ( 23-24 Aug1914) and at Le Cateau (26 Oct 1914) at the start of the Retreat, Marne (7-10 Sep) Aisne (12-15 Sep) at end.
Richard was listed as Missing and was accepted as killed in action on 2 Oct 1914. His remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Le Touret Memorial.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £5 and arrears of £3 11s 2d was paid to Kathleen Mossman, his married sister.
Brother John also served and was probably killed in action at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in Mar 1915, he is also named on the Orpington WW1 Memorial.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Dan Hill, Janet Capstick, Jonty Wild
