William Bennett

Bank: National Provincial Bank

Place of work: Head office, London

Died: 5 March 1943

William Frank Bennett, known as Bill, was born on 20 February 1921, the son of Stephen Bennett. He was educated at County High School, Ilford. He joined the staff of National Provincial Bank as a probationer in the Advance Department, Head Office in September 1937 and was promoted to junior clerk in December 1937. His older brother, SE Bennett, worked in the bank's Valentine Park branch.

In April 1939 Bennett enlisted in a London Territorial unit of the Royal Army Service Corps. He was mobilised for full time military service three weeks before the outbreak of war. 

In July 1941 he was commissioned into the Royal Artillery. He went to the Far East in September 1941 and fought with Indian troops in the battle of Malaya until the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942. He became a prisoner of war and was known to have been in Changi Prison Camp until 18 October 1942 when he and others volunteered for a Japanese working party. Lieutenant Bennett was presumed to have died on or after 5 March 1943 on Ballale Island, west of the Solomon Islands whilst a prisoner of war in Japanese hands. He was 22 years old.