Henry Child

Bank: London County & Westminster Bank

Place of work: London Temple Bar branch

Died: 27 March 1918

Henry Russell Child was born in Harlesden, London, on 27 March 1895, the son of Harry Robert Child, a sanitary inspector, and his wife Louisa Exton Child. He was educated at St Mark's School, Westminster, and later at a college for clerks.

In April 1912, when he was 17 years old, Child went to work for London County & Westminster Bank.

Soon after the outbreak of war in 1914, Child left his job at the bank's London Temple Bar branch to join the army. He initially enlisted in one of the territorial battalions of the Royal Fusiliers, and travelled to France in November 1915. In 1916 he obtained permission to learn to fly at the Grahame-White School in Hendon. He received his Royal Aero Club aviator's certificate in February 1917 and was posted to the Royal Flying Corps in France as a Second Lieutenant. He was later promoted to Captain.

Captain Child was killed in action on 27 March 1918, his 23rd birthday, while flying a reconnaissance mission over Chuignolles, France. His plane is believed to have been shot down by Baron von Richthofen, the Red Baron.

Henry Child is commemorated on a bank war memorial held at NatWest Group Archives.