Archibald Smith

Bank: National Provincial Bank

Place of work: Gorleston-on-Sea branch

Died: 15 May 1944

Archibald Cedric Smith, known as Cedric, was born on 20 June 1920, the son of Archibald Smith and his wife. He was educated at Wyggeston Grammar School, Leicester. He joined the staff of National Provincial Bank as a probationer at Leicester branch in July 1936. He was promoted to junior clerk a few months later and to clerk in October 1938. In February 1939 he moved to Gorleston-on-Sea branch.

In August 1940 he left the bank to go on war service, joining the Royal Artillery. He was posted to the Middle East in 1942 and fought in Egypt, Libya, Tunis and Italy. During a period of leave in Cairo, Lieutenant Smith contracted enteric fever and died in hospital on 15 May 1944. He was 23 years old. His colleagues later remembered him in the bank’s staff magazine: 'Cedric's charming personality and never-failing kindness endeared him to his many friends and his loss to us is a very real one.'