Sidney Forfar

Bank: Union of London & Smiths Bank

Place of work: London Prescott's office, Cornhill

Died: 16 October 1917

Sidney James Forfar was born in West Ham in 1881, the son of Robert Alexander Forfar, a clerk, and his wife Eliza. He worked for Union of London & Smiths Bank in its London Cornhill office. He was also a member of the bank's staff sports club, representing the bank at both cricket and football.

In 1912 Forfar married his wife Lauretta. They had two children together: Gwendoline Lauretta, born in 1913, and Arthur Hill, born in 1916.

During the First World War Forfar joined the army, serving from April 1917 as a Private in the Honourable Artillery Company. He was killed in action in France on 16 October 1917. He was 36 years old. His son and daughter subsequently became beneficiaries of the Bank Clerks' Orphanage, which provided financial support for the education of children of deceased bank workers. His son, Arthur, went on to work for the successor to his father’s bank and was killed in action in the Second World War.

Sidney Forfar is commemorated on a bank war memorial at NatWest City of London office and on another held at NatWest Group Archives.