Edwin Banthorpe's Story.
Edwin (Banthorpe) Hancey was born on 10th July 1894 in Yongala South Australia, the eldest of the six children of Frederick and Jessie Hancey. The family were farmers and later moved to Western Australia.
Edwin joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1915. His service records show that he served on another ship before being posted to H.M.A.S. Melbourne in February 1916.
The light cruiser H.M.A.S. Melbourne was built by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead in 1911. The ship took part in WW1 from the beginning of the war. Then in 1916 she joined the British Grand Fleet stationed at Scapa Flow, Scotland.
From January until June 1917 H.M.A.S. Melbourne was docked in Birkenhead for major repairs to her propulsion system. It was during the time that the ship was docked here that Edwin became ill.
Aged 22, Edwin sadly died on 12th June 1917 from tonsillitis, septicaemia and heart failure and was later buried at Flaybrick Cemetery, Birkenhead far away from his family and home.
His burial records indicate that he had been taken to the Birkenhead Borough Hospital.
Edwin’s younger brother Frederick served in the Australian Army (A.I.F.) during WW1 and was awarded 3 medals.
Research by Chris