Robert Carpenter

Bank: London County & Westminster Bank

Place of work:  London Lombard Street branch

Died: 26 October 1915

Robert Leslie Carpenter was born on 12 April 1895 in Margate, Kent, the only son of Robert Arthur Carpenter and his wife Eliza Jane. His father was an employee of London & County Bank, later known as London County & Westminster Bank.

Carpenter was educated at Whitgift school, and then, in October 1912, followed in his father's footsteps by going to work for London County & Westminster Bank.

Outside work, Carpenter was a territorial soldier, and early in the First World War, when he was working at the bank's London Lombard Street branch, he volunteered for active service in the London Regiment. In 1915 he was promoted to Lieutenant.

Lieutenant Carpenter was killed in action on 26 October 1915, while digging out some of his men who had been buried and killed by shell-fire. He was 20 years old. His obituary in the bank's staff magazine recalled him as someone who 'knew no fear and was always considerate to his men.'

Robert Carpenter is commemorated on a bank war memorial at NatWest City of London office.