William David Densham

Civilian Life - William David Densham was born in Hull, Yorkshire, on 20 November 1894, the son of William and Jessie Margaret Densham. His father was a bank manager, and William followed him into banking. In May 1911, aged 16, he began an apprenticeship with the National Provincial Bank of England at its Marylebone branch in London. He completed his three-year apprenticeship in April 1914 and remained at Marylebone as a clerk. In May 1915, he transferred to the bank's Strand branch.

Military Life - During the First World War, Densham joined the British Army and served as a Private in the 1st/7th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders, with the service number S/40701. He was killed in action in France on 23 April 1917, aged 22, during the Second Battle of the Scarpe, part of the wider Battle of Arras in the Pas-de-Calais area . On this morning, the 51st (Highland) Division launched an attack against heavily fortified German positions along the chemical works and the village of Roeux, enduring massive machine-gun fire and artillery barrages. Densham was killed on the first day of the battalion's attack against German positions. He was subsequently buried at Ecoivres Military Cemetery at Mont-St-Eloi, France, in grave VI. C. 20. His name is also recorded on the National Provincial Bank of England's First World War memorial, now held by the NatWest Group Archives.