Richard Ball

Bank: National Provincial Bank of England

Place of work: Torquay branch

Died: 10 July 1916

Richard Anthony Ball was born on 10 September 1895, the son of William and Edith Constance (née Moore) Ball. William was a coal merchant and steamship owner in Torquay and later - when Richard was 5 - served a term as the town's mayor.

Ball was educated at Blundell's School, Tiverton. In September 1912, when he was 17, he went to work for National Provincial Bank of England as an apprentice in its Torquay branch. Three years later, upon completion of his apprenticeship, he was promoted to a clerkship there. By that time, however, Ball was already serving in the army, initially as a Private in the Devonshire Regiment. He was later commissioned, and by the time of his death in 1916 was a Lieutenant in the Devonshire Regiment, attached to the Worcestershire Regiment.

Richard Anthony Ball was killed in action on the Somme on 10 July 1916. He was 20 years old. His younger brother Mark was also killed, while serving in the Royal Engineers two years later.