Henry Fortescue

Bank: Westminster Bank

Place of work: London Ealing branch

Died: 6 January 1941

Henry Eric Fortescue, known to his bank colleagues as Eric, was born on 24 May 1911, the only son of Henry Charles Fortescue, a banker, and his wife Edith Anne. In March 1929 Eric followed in his father's footsteps by joining the staff of Westminster Bank, and from 1935 he was based at the bank's Ealing branch. Outside work he was a keen sportsman, an active member of the bank's staff sports club and a member of its rugby 'A' team. 

He was a volunteer member of the RAF's Balloon Barrage Section from its inception in 1937, and was mobilised for full-time service in August 1939, shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. 

Corporal Fortescue was killed on active service on 6 January 1941. He was 29 years old and left a widow, Kathleen Violet (known as Kay), whom he had married in 1939. 

Henry Fortescue is commemorated on a bank war memorial at NatWest London Ealing branch, where his name is listed as H Eric Fortescue.