Ronald Baugust

Bank: National Provincial Bank of England

Place of work: Birmingham branch

Died: 3 September 1916

Ronald Henry Baugust was born on 4 May 1891, the son of a schoolmaster. In 1909, when he was 17 years old, he went to work for National Provincial Bank of England as an apprentice at its Stoke-on-Trent branch. He completed his apprenticeship in 1912, and the following year was transferred to Birmingham branch as a clerk. His manager there described him to head office as 'rather gruff and solid, but not a shirker.'

In June 1915 Baugust attended an army recruitment meeting. 'In the excitement', as his manager described it, he joined up without first obtaining the bank's permission to do so. As a result, he received no bank pay to supplement his army wage while he was away.

Baugust became a Private in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He was killed on the Somme on 3 September 1916. He was 25 years old.