Edward Hanley

Bank: Westminster Bank

Place of work: London Kensington (Parr's) branch

Died: 13 October 1944

Edward Dennison Hanley was born on 21 November 1920, the son of Alexander Edward Hanley and his wife Lucy Jane. He was known to his family as ‘Dennis’. He joined the staff of Westminster Bank on his 17th birthday in November 1937, and from the following January was based at the bank's Kensington Parr’s branch in London. He also joined the bank's staff sports club. 

On the outbreak of war Hanley left the bank to join the army as a Private. He suffered a serious accident during his early training, but after recovering joined the Royal Artillery, where he obtained a commission, eventually rising to the rank of Lieutenant. He was part of the British Liberation Army and was involved with the D-Day invasion. He was popular among his army colleagues, who knew him as ‘Tommy’. His commanding officer later wrote that ‘his cheerfulness, imperturbability and sense of humour in the mess were never failing.’  

Lieutenant Hanley was killed in Holland on 13 October 1944 when a shell exploded in a barn where he was helping casualties from a previous shell explosion. He was 23 years old.

Edward Hanley is commemorated on a bank war memorial at NatWest London Kensington Royal Gardens branch.