Northern Bank - War Memorials / Roll of Honour

A site to hold the biographies of those Northern Bank / Belfast Bank officials who died or served during the Great War, World War 2 and the Northern Ireland conflict. Through this website, the families and descendants of around 300 bank officials of the Belfast Banking Company Limited, Northern Banking Company Limited and Northern Bank Ltd will know that "We Will Remember Them". It is not connected with Northern Bank. Any views or comments expressed are those of the writer.

Monday, 12 August 2024

Affiliation with History Hub Ulster

Northern Bank War Memorials is pleased to continue its affiliation with History Hub Ulster

History Hub Ulster presents a wide selection of topics from our own members and others via our webpage, Facebook page, Twitter account and our YouTube channel:

http://historyhubulster.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/HistoryHubUlster

https://twitter.com/HistoryUlster

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPb5SUCWqRsRPK2oKlEqJhQ

They also run a few sister pages on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/missingwarmemorialsinulster

https://www.facebook.com/UlsterWarMemorialsHistoryHubUlster promoting their book:

Unpublished Danske Bank Staff Magazine (Insight eZine) Article - April 2013

The 2010s decade holds centenaries that are of huge importance to the people of Ireland both North and South. Amongst the commemorations are Titanic (2012), Ulster Covenant (2012), the Great War (2014 to 2018), the Easter Rising (2016) and the creation of Northern Ireland (2021).

The Great War is one event that affected the lives of many bank officials from all the banks in Ireland. In 1914, our bank was actually two banking institutions; the Belfast Banking Company Limited and the Northern Banking Company Limited. The Northern had branches all over Ireland whilst the Belfast had branches in the north of Ireland and Dublin.

War was declared in August 1914 and from then on, many young men of each bank together with some who were considerably older volunteered for active service. It must be recognised that all were volunteers apart from one Northern messenger who was already an army reservist. Altogether, nearly 200 men left their banking roles and went off to war. Before the war was over, 33 men were either killed in action, reported missing or had died on active service. Many were wounded in action, some being injured 2 or 3 times.

Following the armistice in 1918, the remaining men were repatriated back to Ireland and back into banking life. Some decided on careers away from banking.

Memorials to the men who died or were reported missing were made. With those memorials, Rolls of Honour were drafted recording the names of the men who served during the war. These memorials were paper based and incorporated photographs of each official.

At the onset of the Second World War in 1939 and for the period to 1945, nearly 100 officials from both banks again volunteered for active service. 13 of these men were either killed in action or were reported missing.

Following the end of the war, each bank drafted and created memorials / rolls of honour and cast them in bronze. They contained the names of the officials from each conflict in the style of surname and initials.

These memorials were installed in each Head Office; Waring Street (Belfast Banking Company) and Victoria Street (Northern Banking Company). In due course, following the closure of each building, they were installed in their current location, outside the ‘Vault’ staff restaurant in the basement of Donegall Square West, Belfast.

In 2010, I decided that the time was right to try and identify all those officials named on the memorials. I wanted to take away the anonymity that just a surname with initials gives. Each name represents a former colleague and someone who also had family and descendants. Some of those descendants may also have worked in the bank.

In all, I researched and have now posted over 300 mini-biographies with associated articles, and whilst my initial idea had been to publish a book, it quickly became obvious that fresh details for each man can come to light very quickly and for the ease of updating, I decided on an external website. Each mini-biography may contain information from a variety of public sources e.g.

National Archives of Ireland – 1901 & 1911 Irish Census, Soldiers’ Wills
The National Archives – Medal Index Cards
Public Records Office for Northern Ireland – Ulster Covenant
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
London Gazette
Belfast Newspaper Library – cuttings from the Belfast News Letter (courtesy of Nigel Henderson)
The Link – staff magazine of Northern Bank
Ancestry.com
General Records Office for NI (GRONI)

During my research, I wanted to bring the story up to date and include the mini-biographies of the 3 Northern Bank officials who were killed as a result of the Northern Ireland Conflict.

The website address is: http://northernbankwarmemorials.blogspot.co.uk/ or just Google ‘Northern Bank War Memorials’. It has been running since November 2012 and has followers throughout the world. It is most pleasing when a descendant of one of the men contacts me and gives more information or photographs.

Please feel free to circulate this address to former colleagues.

Gavin Bamford

April 2013 - updated 2022

Chrysanthemum Day

Chrysanthemum Day - 29th September

Before the poppy was the symbol of Remembrance, the Chrysanthemum was the flower used to remember the men and women who were serving (and died) during the Great War. These advertisements are from the Northern Whig, September 1916.

[Thanks to Nigel Henderson]

Centenary of the Gallipoli Campaign - 'Last Post' Commemoration event

Centenary of the Gallipoli Campaign
- 'Last Post' Commemoration event - 26th April 2015

In association with Last Post, Super Act, Heritage Lottery Fund, National Museums NI, Living Legacies, Davey Music and Michael MacBroom, History Hub Ulster commemorated the bank officials from the Northern Banking Company Limited who served during the Gallipoli Campaign.

Invitations to the event were published by Last Post, Living Legacies, History Hub Ulster via websites and social media.

Four officials were identified as having served in this campaign. They were, in alphabetical order:

Warrant Officer Class 2 Thomas W Cooper - survived the war

Private Charles Kevin Fitzsimmons - survived the war

Lieutenant Thomas Richard Jenkins - survived the war

Private William Frederick Matthews - Killed in Action

We acknowledge that there may have been other officials from the Northern Banking Company Limited or the Belfast Banking Company Limited who also served in Gallipoli.

National Museums Northern Ireland (Ulster Folk Museum) were kind enough to permit History Hub Ulster to use their Northern Banking Company Limited exhibit. This building is a replica of the Northern Bank branch in Portglenone.

The 2015 Last Post project is aimed at commemorating the Gallipoli Campaign in the form of musical events that must include the playing of the Last Post, Patrick Davey and Bronagh Davey (Davey Music) were kind enough to play the uilleann pipes and the Irish flute.

A flyer was provided for visitors to the museum who viewed the event with remaining copies left in the bank office.

Our cameraman for the day was Michael MacBroom. He provided the following videos for us.

History Hub Ulster - YouTube channel (long version) & History Hub Ulster - YouTube channel (highlights)

Great War Centenary - 4th August 1914 to 4th August 2014

At 11 o'clock in the evening of 4th August 1914, Great Britain declared war on Germany.

For individuals and employers, no one was sure of what was coming.

Within the Northern Banking Company, one of its officials, William Pattenden (a caretaker) would be called up immediately as he was already a reservist.

Over the course of the war, nearly 200 officials from both the Belfast Banking Company and its rival bank, the Northern Banking Company would volunteer for service. Some would be rejected for military service due to medical reasons.

On 15th December 1914 the Belfast News Letter reported:

(Courtesy of Nigel Henderson)

Of those nearly 200 men, 33 were to be die on active service or be reported missing.

If we bring ourselves forward 100 years and think of our current workplaces, be it a branch, a Head Office department, a back office, a call centre or a service centre, there would be perhaps 1 or 2 thinking of volunteering for service. One friend will maybe persuade another to join up. An office junior may be impressed by an older colleague and join up. Either way, young men are about to tell their manager or department head that they are going off to war.

Whatever way you choose to remember the centenary of the Great War starting, just take a moment to think about the bank officials that served and remember those that didn't return.

We will remember them.

Belfast Banking Company - Roll of Honour - 2000

I have just come across this photo from 2000 at around the time we moved the tablets to the canteen corridor location on 4th floor, of the (now Danske Bank) Northern Bank Head Office.

The photograph was taken prior to the Dedication Service by Dean Houston McKelvey of St Anne's Cathedral.

Images of the Northern Bank War Memorial (Brass) - The Great War

The Great War - here are some more images of the Northern Bank brass 'Rolls of Honour' and 'War Memorial' in situ in the basement of the (now Danske Bank) Northern Bank Head Office, Donegall Square West, Belfast.

Apologies for the poor angle, lighting, reflections etc, all due to the location in a narrow corridor.

Images of the Belfast Bank War Memorial (Brass) - The Great War

The Great War - here are some more images of the Belfast Bank brass 'Rolls of Honour' and 'War Memorial' in situ in the basement of the (now Danske Bank) Northern Bank Head Office, Donegall Square West, Belfast.

Apologies for the poor angle, lighting, reflections etc, all due to the location in a narrow corridor.

Mercer, Maurice Dillon

Maurice Dillon Mercer

Mercer was born at Bridge Street, Dromore on 27th September 1897 to William James Mercer, Draper and Margaret Mercer nee Henry. They had married on 20th December 1878 at Dundalk Presbyterian Church.

In 1901 Mercer (3) was living in house 5, Bridge Street, Dromore, Co. Down with his parents and 12 siblings; Lizzie (25), Sally (20), Mary (18), Lillie (18), May (16), Daisy (15), Herbert (11), Charlie (8), Anna (9), Albert (6), Lucy (5) and Harold (1). A salesperson, Wm J Barre was also present in the property.

By 1911, the property is described as house 8, Bridge Street, Dromore, Co. Down. Mercer is living with his parents and 5 siblings; Sara, Mary, Charlie, Lucy and Harold. A salesperson, Wm J Barre was also present in the property.

On 'Ulster Day', 28th September 1912, Mercer signed the Ulster Covenant at Dromore.

Mercer would have joined the Belfast Banking Company around 1915 and is recorded as working in Londonderry and Rathfriland branches. His father signed the Bankers Guarantee.

Belfast Bank - Bankers Guarantee ledger sheet

Belfast Bank, Londonderry branch

Belfast Bank, Rathfriland branch

Mercer volunteered and enlisted into the 26th Bankers’ Bn. Royal Irish Fusiliers with Service Number G/52005. He is also recorded as serving in the 22nd Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) and also the 23rd Royal Fusiliers.

M D Mercer - Medal Index Card

The 26th Bankers' Battalion, Royal Fusiliers feature in this short film clip as 'marching through London on way to the Front':

26th Bankers' Battalion Royal Fusiliers

The Belfast Banking Company 'Roll of Honour' booklet records him as being a 'prisoner of war'.

Mercer was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

M D Mercer - Medal Roll

According to the UK Pension Records, Mercer was suffering from Myalgia (see below). On 15th May 1919, Mercer was demobilised with his address being recorded as Belfast Banking Company, Dungannon. Between the periods 1922 to 1927 the Pension Records card was updated many times.

Belfast Bank, Dungannon branch

UK Pension Record Card - M D Mercer

Mercer was a member of the Belfast Banking Company Sports Club in March 1948 paying 1 shillings subscription.

He is reported in various newspapers as being in the Royal British Legion.

Retirement for Mercer came in 1960.

An Ancestry family tree states that Mercer died on 24th July 1982. This has been confirmed in the Northern Bank staff magazine 'The Link' of Autumn 1982.

A different Pension Record card is annotated with 'dead':

Hewitt, William Arthur

2nd Lieutenant William Arthur Hewitt

Hewitt was born at Princess Gardens, Bangor on 23rd January 1893 to James Henry Hewitt, Manager of the Workshops for the Industrious Blind and Jeannie D Hewitt nee Marshall. They had married on 25th June 1879 at St. John's Church of Ireland, Belfast.

In 1901 Hewitt (8) is living in house 15, Rosetta Avenue, Ormeau, Belfast with his parents and 4 siblings; J Marshall (20), Edith M (18), Ernest (15) and Holt (13). A visitor, Charlotte Hewitt and a servant, Bridget McIntee are also present in the property.

Hewitt was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institute (RBAI - INST), played rugby for the North of Ireland Rugby Football Club and was also a member of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).

He joined the Belfast Banking Company and is recorded as working in their Markets branch. His father signed the Bankers Guarantee and gave his address as Altamont, 97 Mornington Park, Bangor, Co. Down.

Belfast Bank - Bankers Guarantee ledger sheet

Belfast Bank, Markets branch, Victoria Street

By 1911 Hewitt is living in house 27, Downshire Road, Bangor, Co. Down with his parents and 3 siblings; Edith, Ernest and Holt. His occupation is recorded as a Bank Clerk. He had been working in Head Office.

Belfast Bank, Head Office, Waring Street

On 'Ulster Day', 28th September 1912, Hewitt's father signed the Ulster Covenant at the Dufferin Memorial Hall, Bangor.

Hewitt volunteered and enlisted into the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. His first theatre of war is recorded as western Europe from 25th March 1916. His Medal Index Card records his father's address as Mornington Park, Bangor.

W A Hewitt - Medal Index Card

He was serving with 9th Bn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers as a 2nd Lieutenant when he was killed in action on 1st July 1916 aged 23. He was their Assistant Adjutant.

Hewitt was one of three brothers who fell. They were Lieutenant Ernest Henry Hewitt (Mentioned in Dispatches), killed in action on 15th / 16th June 1915 aged 29, and Lieutenant Holt Montgomery Hewitt, killed in action on 1st July 1916 aged 29. William is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France and also on Bangor War Memorial.

A brass memorial tablet, commemorating all three brothers is also on show in St. Comgall's Church, Bangor.