217869 Pte. William Henry Hancock British Army 1/5th Btn Leicestershire Regiment from:Leicester (d.22nd Feb 1945) William Henry Hancock was my mother's cousin. He served with the 1/5th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment. I was always led to believe he was a prisoner of war in Japan, but through research I find he was a prisoner in Poland at Stalag xxa and Stalag 357. He is buried in a cemetery outside Berlin. He died on 22nd February 1945 I presume not long after he arrived there after the 'Death march.' from Poland. I know very little about him, just his name and the story of being a prisoner in Japan. I think what makes his story so sad, is that his mother Harriet Hancock, had 13 children, William being the youngest. Eleven of the children died as babies or toddlers, then William died in the war. He had one surviving brother named Fred.
I am pleased I did find a little more about his short life. He was 25 when he died.
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