Herbert Bancroft died in WW1 29th January 1917.

 

'PICTURED IN MEMORY AS YOU USED TO BE YOU LEFT BEHIND ACHING HEARTS'

Here's the details of Herbert Bancroft who died from injuries in WW1 and was buried in Stony Royd Cemetry, Halifax along with other WW1 casualties.

I was not clear how exactly how old he was at the time but it seems likley he was born circa 1883 in Claremont area ofHalifax area, the illegitimate son of a Martha Ann Bancroft who seems to have lived in and around the Halifax area, and like her son Herbert led a somewhat mysterious nomadic live moving from pillar to post before a marriage in 1897 to a Robert Warton Cockroft. 

The 1901 census shows Herbert living with his mother in Halifax, and also shown as a 'boarder' is her husband, who she married in 1897!...obviously an error!

1901 census

 

It is also not clear when he enlisted in the army but he was serving with the 2nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment, with a reg number of 33682, and their war diary for the first part of 1917 and the early entries for January mention very wet, boggy conditions followed by freezing temperatures, 'perishing cold' and snow. They were in billets for the last week or more of January and although that would be a relief for the men I suspect it was too little too late for Herbert who might already have been evacuated back to the UK for treatment, which suggests his condition was already serious.

He died of pneumonia in hospital which the pension record card gives as the reason for his death in Ashington War Hospital and whilst it could have been cause by his service it might have been due to influenza. It was January of course, so a death of this nature in winter isn't unusual, particularly if he's been serving in the trenches.

Pension Record

The pension record shows that his mother, Mary Ann Cockroft being the beneficiary of his war pension.

Soldier's effects

 

Herbert got himself into trouble earlier in his life when he was sent to prison, when he mistakenly caught begging from a policeman! The story can be read here

 

Stoney Royd Cemetery