Vere Francis

Bank: National Provincial Bank of England

Place of work: London office

Died: 20 April 1917

Vere Francis was born in Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, on 15 August 1886, the son of Alexander Francis, a farmer, and his wife. In November 1902, when Francis was 16 years old, he went to work for National Provincial Bank of England as apprentice at its Wisbech branch. He moved to Newcastle upon Tyne branch as a clerk in October 1907, and then to London office in June 1909.

Francis was a territorial soldier, a member of the Queen's Own West Kent Yeomanry. At the outbreak of war in August 1914 he was mobilised with his battalion, leaving the bank to go on active service. He was later commissioned into the Suffolk Regiment. After serving for some time in Egypt he was transferred to France, and it was there, on 20 April 1917, that Second Lieutenant Vere Francis died. He was 30 years old.

Vere Francis is commemorated on a bank war memorial held at NatWest Group Archives.