Eric Montesole

Bank: National Provincial Bank of England

Place of work: Great Yarmouth branch

Died: 4 March 1916

Eric Alfred Montesole was born in Hornsey on 8 October 1888, the son of Max Montesole, a company secretary, and his wife Emma. He was educated at The Stationers School.

Montesole's elder brother Edward, seven years his senior, worked for National Provincial Bank of England, and in April 1907, when Montesole was 18, he followed in his brother's footsteps, starting work as an apprentice at the bank's Holloway branch. He completed his apprenticeship three years later, and in August 1910 moved to London office as a clerk. He transferred to Lancaster Gate branch in November 1910; London Marylebone branch in September 1912; Reading branch in August 1913; Cambridge branch in October 1913; and Great Yarmouth branch in November 1913. He was also a member of the bank's staff sports club.

Outside work, Montesole was a member of the Middlesex Territorials from 1910. He was mobilised at the outbreak of war in August 1914, and went with his battalion to Gibraltar in September 1914. He was posted to France in February 1915, taking part in battles at Neuve Chapelle, Fromelles and Festubert. His younger brother Herbert, who was serving in the Royal Sussex Regiment, was killed at Festubert in May 1915. Montesole himself was wounded on 6 June 1915.

In September 1915 Montesole was gazetted a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Sussex Regiment. He came home on leave before joining his new battalion, and on 22 September 1915 married Liena Constance Roche.

In January 1916 Montesole became his battalion's machine gun officer. He was killed in action in France on 4 March 1916. He was 27 years old.

Eric Montesole is commemorated on a bank war memorial held at NatWest Group Archives.