Abraham Bancroft

[boggit]

Can any forum member check if either of these two soldiers is listed on the ancestry pension records as i believe one may have died after discharge and is not commemorated on cwgc or soldiers died, any help please

Bancroft, Abraham

Corps: North Staffordshire Regiment

Regiment No: 14316

Rank: Private...

Bancroft, Abraham

Corps: Royal Garrison Artillery

Regiment No: 132409

Rank: Gunner...

[Stebie9173]

14316 is on Ancestry. Enlisted 7-9-1914. Wounded shell wound to forehead, 8-9-1915. Rejoined 22-10-1915. Admitted to hospital with delusional insanity, 28-5-1917. Discharged June 1918, KR 392 (XVI). There is a medical record of his symptoms upon examination before admission to an asylum.

His delusion centred around the fact that people were out to get him with bombs and revolvers.... His own side, of course...

If he died between 1918 & 1921 from either neurological or insanity related causes, I would say there is a good case for death being related to his service.

EDIT : his record says "Died 11/2/1919" in big letters across it.

Steve.

[boggit]

thx fer that m8 very interesting thx again Ade

[wulsten]

Steve, does the entry list where Bancroft originated from

[Guest KevinEndon]

Stebie, if you are going to look someone up please supply the asker with all the details. you missed off his shoe size.

What a brilliant reply Stebie to this post, truelly amazing. Give yourself a huge pat on your back mate.

Kevin

[Stebie9173]

Yes, it does but I'll have to let you know when I get back from the pub!

(Designated driver... )

Steve.

(The address not the shoe size!)

[MelPack]

I loved the caveat of 'His own side, of course...' that Steve added to the statement 'His delusion centred around the fact that people were out to get him with bombs and revolvers'

[wulsten]

Cheers Steve fingers crossed

[Stebie9173]

Here's what can be drawn from his WO364 records:

Pte. Abraham Bancroft, 14316 8th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment

Born at Longport, Burslem, Staffs., c.1883.

Address, 16 The Marsh, Maybank, Wolstanton.

Had been an apprentice ?????? Heath, Black bull.

Age 31, 5' 2 1/4", 134 lbs, Chest 38.5" (+3" expansion), Fresh complexion, blue eyes, brown hair, Church of England.

Enlisted 7th September 1914 at Stoke. Posted to "A" Reserve.

Posted to North Staffordshire Regiment Depot, 30-9-1914

Posted to 8th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment, Tickworth, 7-10-1914.

Served in UK from 7-9-1914 to 17-7-1915

Embarked Southampton, 17-7-1915

No 6 CCS, Lillers, Shrapnel Wound - forehead, 8-9-1915

No 4 General Hospital, St Omer, 15-9-1915

Depot, 21-9-1915

Rejoined battalion from hospital, 22-10-1915

Admitted 59 FA, Delusional insanity, 28-5-1917

8 Stationary Hospital, Wimmereux, Delusional insanity, 4-6-1917

To England aboard HS St Patrick, 8-6-1917

Posted to North Staffordshire Regiment Depot, 8-6-1917

Served in France from 18-7-1915 to 8-6-1917

In UK from 9-6-1917 to 13-5-1918

Discharged Para 392 (xvi) KR (No longer physically fit) on 13th May 1918 at Lichfield, aged 34 (5' 2" tall, 38.5" chest (+2" expansion), blue eyes, grey hair, a collier). Military character good, "sober and honest"

Cause of discharge - Delusional insanity, caused 100% from active service due to stress of campaign & GSW to head.

Intended place of residence 16 The Marsh, Maybank, Wolstanton, Staffs.

Report prior to discharge. At Lord Derby War Hospital [formerly Winwick Asylum, Warrington] on 12th March 1918.

Disability : Delusional insanity

Date of origin of disability : May 1917.

History of the disability : Went to France in July 1915. Was in trenches. Wounded twice, in centre of forehead & on left knee. Then on Transport duty. He was found to be acting irrationally & to be suffering from the delusion that several men were following him with revolvers with intent to shoot him. 59 Field Ambulance on 25.5.17. No 8 Stationary Hospital, Wimereux on 4.6.17. He thought the officers of the N. Staffs. were plotting against him, and had auditory hallucinations. Admitted "D" block, Netley 8.6.17. Thinks people are running after him with revolvers and bombs. Admitted L.D.W.H. on 12.6.17. Delusions persist. On 7.1.18, attempted to commit suicide by tying his handkerchief tightly around his neck.

Attributable to military service, stress of capaign and wounds.

Present condition: He asks for a bandage to keep his insides from falling out; complains of a galvanising battery on his head; he complains that in France when they had nothing better to do they fired machine guns at him. He says nitric acid and oil of vitriol used to work through his feet and legs and draw his skin off. He says they must have sent from up above and knitted his shoulder blades together. His statements are often incoherent. He says that this place is not far off the Western Front and that all sorts of spirits must have been sold here at some time.

No court of enquiry held. No operation performed.

He has been wounded in the forehead and on left knee during the current war. Scars persist.

Discharged to asylum care, ACI 8 of 1918.

---

Married to Mary Alice Swinnerton at Wolstanton on 12-4-1903

Children - Dorothy, b.26-4-1904 (Burslem, Staffs), Abraham b.11-11-1905 (Wolstanton, Staffs)

---

Awarded pension from 14-5-1918 to 11-12-1918, 27s 6d.

Died 11th February 1919.

{Death certificate reference : Abraham Bancroft abt 1880 1919 Jan-Feb-Mar Cheadle Staffordshire, vol. 6b, page 599}

Steve.

[PaulC78]

Pension card for 14316 Abraham Bancoft appears to give his casue of death on 11/02/1919 as "chronic peritonitis acute intestinal obstruction":

Unfortunately that doesn't seem to tie in with his discharge. However, in another old topic it was stated that he died from suicide:

So presumably a non-starter either way. @wulsten Do you by any chance remember the details of this case?

 

[Matlock1418]

On 21/10/2007 at 14:50, Stebie9173 said:

Awarded pension from 14-5-1918 to 11-12-1918, 27s 6d.

27/6 = 100% disability rate for a Pte

M