Cpt William Stirling Bannatyne

William Stirling Bannatyne, born on December 9th 1868, was originally from from Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, Scotland, and it would only be later in life that he would move to Brentwood. He spent his early years at Angus Lodge, Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Bannatyne pursued his education privately in Switzerland before enrolling at the Royal Military College. His military career commenced when he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the King's Liverpool Regiment on August 22nd 1888. Demonstrating competence and dedication, he steadily rose through the ranks, becoming a Lieutenant on May 7th 1890, and achieving the rank of Captain in the 1st Battalion, King's Liverpool Regiment, on January 22nd 1896.

In 1897, Bannatyne acquired qualifications as an interpreter of Modern Languages, including proficiency in French and German. He married Ethel Louisa Winwood on April 18th 1899, at Christchurch, Walcot, Bath, Somerset.

The outbreak of the Anglo Boer War saw Bannatyne's deployment to South Africa. He embarked on the S.S. Braemar Castle for Durban, Natal Province, in August 1899. Throughout the conflict, he participated in various operations and engagements, notably in Natal and Transvaal, and earned the Queen's South Africa Medal and the King's South Africa Medal.

After his service in South Africa, Bannatyne's career led him to Gibraltar, where he served as Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General and General Staff Officer.

After Gibralatar he moved to a house in Brentwood and his family lived at 95 Queens Road. Presumably Bannatyne was working at Warley Barracks. Promotions continued, with Bannatyne attaining the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in February 1912. He assumed command of the 1st Battalion, King's Liverpool Regiment, in the same year.

The outbreak of World War I mobilized Bannatyne and his battalion at Talavera Barracks, Aldershot, Hampshire, in August 1914. They were deployed to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force, engaging in significant battles such as Mons, the Marne, and the Aisne.

Tragically, Bannatyne's life was cut short during the conflict. On October 24, 1914, at the age of 45, he was killed in action. While leading his headquarters section to a farm, he was fatally shot through the heart by a sniper. His bravery and leadership were commemorated in his Mention in Despatches, published posthumously in the London Gazette on October 20, 1914.

This account is given of his death:

On reaching the Zonnebeke road Colonel Bannatyne went off to the left, under cover of a hill, with the intention of getting to a farm which he was going to use as his Headquarters. The Adjutant (Capt. P. Hudson) went forward to "B" Company. He then climbed the hill to the left and found the Commanding Officer, who, instead of going to the farm, had apparently come over the top in order to see how the battalion was situated. Together, Colonel Bannatyne and Capt. Hudson advanced towards "A" Company and had just reached a fence near the road which ran into the main Zonnebeke-Becelaere road, when the former fell shot through the heart by a sniper's bullet; Capt. Hudson was also shot through the wrist. With the help of Lance-Corporal Jones, the Adjutant carried their gallant Commander to a shell-hole, for the enemy's rifle-fire was still heavy. But by the time a doctor was brought up the Colonel was dead. Later, he was buried in the little orchard of the farm where he intended making his Headquarters.

His grave was destroyed during the following four years of war, and surprisingly he is not mentioned on any war memorial in Brentwood, possibly because his family did not stay long in Brentwood and moved to Berkshire before the end of the war.