Little is known about this man and his entry in Nurse Oliver’s album while she was nursing at Hickwells, is brief.  It reads simply:

 

1st June 1915

 

C. Banks

1st Royal Fusiliers

 

He is probably L/10314 Private Charles Banks of the 1st Royal Fusiliers; a regular soldier who enlisted in the army on 14th February 1900 and who arrived in France on 7th September 1914. His medal index card shows that he was entitled to the 1914 Star (with clasp and roses), The British War and Victory Medals and the Silver War Badge.  He was discharged from the army on 25th April 1915 due to sickness and so was probably an early casualty in the opening months of the war.  C Banks’ entry date in Nurse Oliver’s album certainly marks him as a convalescent and this ties in well with Charles Banks’ discharge date.

 

When war broke out, the 1st Royal Fusiliers was in Kinsale Ireland and later formed part of the 17th Brigade in the 6th Division.

 

Nothing further is known about this man.

 

Sources and Acknowledgements

 

·         The National Archives: Medal Index Card reference: WO 372/1

·         The National Archives: Medal Roll: British War & Victory Medals: Roll LTP/104 B2 Page 170: WO 329/794

·         The National Archives: Medal Roll: 1914 Star: Roll TP/8 Page 8: WO 329/2428

·         The National Archives: Silver War Badge: Roll E/44: WO 329/3038

·         The Long, Long Trail