William French

Bank: National Bank of Scotland

Place of work: Forres branch

Died: 12 May 1917

William Alexander Smith French was born on 12 April 1892, the son of John and Florence French. In May 1909, when he was 17 years old, he went to work for National Bank of Scotland as an apprentice at its Forres branch. He became a clerk there in June 1912.

During the First World War French left the bank to go on military service, and by 1917 he was a Second Lieutenant in the Seaforth Highlanders. He was killed in action on the Western Front on 12 May 1917. He was 25 years old.

William French is commemorated on a bank war memorial at Gogarburn campus, Edinburgh.