William Ernest Hankin

This story is shared with the Trust with kind permission from Mavis Williams, Researcher. Photo source: Nottingham Evening Post, 01 September 1944

William Ernest Hankin was born on the 16th of October 1924, the son of Frank Percy & Annie Maud Hankin (née Evans) who had married in the December quarter of 1907 in the Nottingham registration district.

We see them on the 1911 census living at 14 Raleigh Street, Nottingham, with Frank Hankin, 28, working as a Grocer and Painter, on his own account. Two children, John Enoch Hankin, 2 and Annie Maud Hankin Jr, 6 months old, both born in Nottingham, made up the family. Another child, Frank Percy Evans was born, I believe, in the December quarter of 1911 in the Nottingham registration district but he died of Broncho Pneumonia at home on the 11th of February 1914, age 2 years.

In 1913, Frank's grocery business was in financial difficulties. The Nottingham Journal dated the 22nd of October 1913 named Frank P. Hankin, 63, Gamble Street, Nottingham, Painter under the heading 'Local Receiving Orders' . The Nottingham Evening Post, dated the 5th of November 1913 gives us more information. Under the heading 'Painter Turned Grocer', it reports that Frank Hankin came on bad times and that he had been handed a grocery business at 14, Raleigh Street, Nottingham from his mother in 1909. He was residing in lodgings and trading at 63, Gamble Street, Nottingham and lately residing and trading at 14, Raleigh Street, Nottingham, but the business was not successful. He attributed his failure to bad trade and the illness of his wife. His affairs were left in the hands of the Official Receiver.

We see them again on the 1921 census, now living at 63, Gamble Street, Nottingham. Frank was working as a Painter for Simms Sons & Cook Ltd., Building Contractors, Weekday Cross, Nottingham and Annie was a Housewife. John Enoch Hankin, 12 years and 11 months old and Annie Maud Hankin, age 10 years and 8 months, made up the household. In the December quarter of 1921, Frank Percy & Annie Maud had another child, Bernard, in the Nottingham registration district and then in the December quarter of 1924, William Ernest Hankin was born in the same registration district completing their family.

More grief was to fall on the family when Annie Maud Hankin died on the 31st of December 1931 at the age of 51 years. She was buried on the 4th of January 1932. Five years later Frank Hankin was to meet and marry Maud Mary Arm in St. Andrews Church, in the City of Nottingham on the 25th of February 1937.

The next time we see the family is on the 1939 National Register, which was taken on the 29th of September 1939. They are still at 63, Gamble Street, Nottingham. Their two eldest children had moved out and Frank Hankin was working as a Master Painter & Decorator. Maud Hankin was doing Unpaid Domestic Duties, Bernard Hankin was a Painter & Decorator (Assistant) and William Hankin was an Apprentice for a Letter Press Printers.

Sadly, I have no further information on William Hankin, neither his early or teen years and I do not know when he was to enlist or was conscripted but he was to find himself fighting in the Battle of Normandy and laid down his life for our freedom.

He joined the Royal Air Force and his final posting was to No 12 Operational Training Unit, Chipping Warden where he was crewed up on the 13th June and began training on Wellington bombers prior to his posting to an operational squadron. But he was killed on the night of 25th/26th August. The crew had been tasked with a diversion operation over Normandy, acting as a decoy to draw attention away from the true target. Looking at the other losses that day the target was Kiel with some aircraft attacking Konigsberg and a mine laying operation. They took off from Chipping Warden but when returning from their sortie they strayed off track and dived into the ground at Uplands Lane, Keynshaw, 5 miles SE from the centre of Bristol. All the crew were killed. William Hankin's body was brought home to Nottingham and he was buried in the Nottingham Southern Cemetery with his family.

His friends and family also sent in memoriam notices which were published in the local papers.

L-R: Nottingham Evening Post 05 September 1944; 30 August 1944