HANCOCK Wilfred John

Appears in the Worcester/Worcestershire Roll of Honour Book for army casualties located in Worcester Cathedral under Malvern casualties.

The Hancock family resided in Worcester until approximately 1914. Wilfred’s father, Sardius, was the District Superintendent of the United Kingdom Alliance (a temperance society), a well- respected job in the community hence Wilfred and his brother Ralph are commemorated on Worcester Guildhall Memorial.

Wilfred was born at Harbledown, Kent in 1895 and after leaving school he worked as a clerk.  He enlisted in the army at Coventry in 1915 and went to France in June 1916.

The following report appears in the Worcester Herald, 28th October 1916:
News comes of the death in action of Wilfred Hancock, whose parents, Mr and Mrs Sardius Hancock, live at The Pastures, Malvern Link.  Until a year or two ago they resided in St John’s, Worcester.  Wilfred Hancock, who was attached to the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, had been reported missing, but is now stated to have been killed in the capture of Guillemont on September 3rd.  He enlisted at The Ordnance Works, Coventry.  His brother Ralph, a second-lieutenant in the Worcesters, was severely wounded in the €œBig Push€.  He is now happily progressing towards recovery.

A photograph of Rifleman W.J. Hancock of Malvern Link can be found in Berrow’s Worcester Journal Supplement, Saturday 21st October 1916, available at Worcestershire Archives.

Wilfred Hancock has no known grave, the photograph available shows his name on Thiepval Memorial.