Edwin Edmondson Hancocks was born at Tedsmore Bank, West Felton in 1888, the second eldest of 9 children of Edwin and Harriet Hancocks nee Edmondson, Edwin’s middle name. His father worked as a domestic coachman. By 1911 Edwin was living at his maternal grandmother’s house – Sandford House, 77 Salop Road, Oswestry. There with him was his brother Richard who was a clerk with Cambrian Railways. Edwin was working as a gas fitter; he had served his apprenticeship and worked for 11 years at Oswestry Gas Works. He then moved to Newport to work for the Gas Company there.  Their parents were still living at Tedsmore but by (1920) his mother had also moved to town and was living at 65 Beatrice Street.

He enlisted at Newport joining the Royal Engineers. He did not go over to France until 1916 and was attached to the Royal Flying Corps. It is possible he was a mechanic/fitter – given his pre-war job. An alternative and more likely possibility is that he was working with observation balloons. When the RFC – the antecedent of the RAF – was established in 1912, two 2 RE Air Battalions were included in the complement. These units had been established in 1911 to operate and maintain air ships. During the war they moved to military balloons, primarily used for gunnery observation and reconnaissance. The ranks were drawn from the Corps of Royal Engineers.

Edwin died on 31 January 1917 at No 8 General Hospital at Bois Guillaume – a large private house being used as a hospital; and north east of Rouen. His obituary in the Llangollen Advertiser records that he died of injuries sustained on 24 January – ‘injuries’ suggests an accident rather than battle wounds. No information is available as to where he was injured but possibly at Rouen RE Base Depot. He is buried at Bois-Guillaume Communal Cemetery, Rouen. His headstone inscription, chosen by his mother, reads – ‘To live in hearts, we leave behind, is not to die’. Edwin is also recorded on the war memorial at St Oswald’s Church.

Acknowledgements.

References and Sources

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