Sidney Fred Banks

Sidney, born in Kirkby-le-Thorpe in 1899, was at school in 1911. He and elder brother Charles Henry lived with father James (an oil engine fitter) and mother Emma Jane at 8 Wothorpe Road. Another brother and sister were born there and when Sidney got a job as a ‘vanman’ he moved to 8 Burghley Lane. This was the address he gave when conscripted in 1917.

Attested 17 February 1917 as Private 35543 in the West Riding Regiment, he was held in reserve until 20 June 1917. The next day he was posted to France and on 23 June 1917 transferred to the 2nd Yorkshire/Lancashire Regiment as Private 46112.

He was wounded on 30 September 1918 and sent home to recuperate from 3 October  to 16 May 1919. He had “severe wound right thigh, also left leg (poss. lost?) gunshot wound – wounded severely”.

He was discharged from service on 15 May 1919 as “no longer physically fit — disability gunshot wound – left leg” having served 2 years 89 days. He recovered sufficiently to go back to his pre-war occupation of vanman at Cumberland’s, the grocery shop on the corner of Water Street and High Street, St Martin’s.

In the spring of 1928 he married Ethel Dawson in Stamford and died in Newport, Gwent in September 1971, aged 71.