Alec's Story.
The parents of Alec Banner of 15, Bold Street, Runcorn, have received notification of his death while on active service.
Sergeant Banner, who was very well known locally, was employed prior to the war as a clerk in the office of Mr. G.F. Ashton, clerk to the Runcorn Board of Guardians and Rural Council. He was 21 years of age, and joined the army in May 1915, going to the front with the Machine Gun Corps in June 1916. He was educated at Holy Trinity School and was an old choir boy of the Trinity Church. An older brother was killed in the early stages of the war, and another brother is serving with the colours. Sergeant Banner was associated with several local football and cricket clubs.
A letter from the captain of the deceased company was to the following effect.
“As the officer commanding the Machine Gun Company, I beg to send you a few lines to say how I sympathise with you in the loss of your son, Sergeant Banner, of my company. Your son was one of my oldest N.C.O.’s and I am very cut up at losing him. He was a good fellow and had a future had he been spared. Undoubtedly you have heard from his section officer all details of his death. He is buried behind the lines, and I am having a suitable cross made for his grave. The whole company mourn the loss of your son, and I beg to offer you, my sympathy.”
His Lieutenant wrote as follows: “Mine is a very sad task in that I am writing to express my deepest sympathy with you in the terrible blow you have Sustained in the death of your son, Alec. I have no doubt you have received official intimation about this, And I would have written at once, but I was personally very upset about it, being his officer and along with him when he was killed. We were coming out of the line when we came under enemy shellfire, one shell exploding very close to us, and I am grieved to say your son was killed instantly. He suffered no pain, I can assure you, for I ran up and spoke to him even touching him, but he was quite dead. I was beside myself with grief for your son was a splendid Sergeant and beloved by all the company. For 24 days his life and mine have been closely bound together we shared the same dugout and I found him an excellent and very capable Sergeant and the lads just loved him.”
A fellow Sergeant writes: “I cannot for the world right just exactly to say how we all feel for Alec such a popular boy, and the life and soul of the whole company.”
Runcorn Weekly News, January 25, 1918, p2.