John was educated at the school along with his two brothers and in civilian life was recognised as one of the outstanding palaeontologists of his time with numerous published works, the last of which was published posthumously in the ‘Journal of Palaeontology’ in 1945. He served with the Royal Garrison Artillery in France during the First World War and was recommended for the Croix de Guerre.

The early stages of the Second World War saw him serve as Chief Observer at Blakeney, Norfolk, with the Royal Observer Corps. Prior to the Normandy Landings John volunteered as a Seaborn Aircraft Identifier as he believed that his previous experience on land would be of vital assistance to the Royal Navy.

His new duties saw him embarked upon MV Derrycunihy, [MTS T72] a British cargo ship impressed as a military transport. She was sunk off the Normandy beaches with great loss of life on Saturday 24^th June 1944. The vessel joined a convoy off Southend-on-Sea, with A and C squadrons of the 43rd (Wessex) Reconnaissance Regiment embarked. She arrived off the British landing 'Sword Beach' on the evening of 20^th June 1944.

The sea state combined with enemy shelling prevented unloading for three days and it was decided to move T72 to 'Juno Beach' for disembarkation. As the ship's engines started on the morning of Saturday 24^th June it detonated an acoustic or 'Oyster' mine dropped by one of the nightly Luftwaffe raiders. The mine exploded under the keel, splitting the ship in two, and the after-part, packed with sleeping men of '43 Recce', sank rapidly. In addition an ammunition lorry caught fire, and oil floating on the water was set alight.

Landing craft and the gunboat 'HMS Locust' quickly came alongside and picked up survivors, most of whom were evacuated to another vessel. The Regimental War Diary records that 'Great gallantry was displayed by all troops in the two aft holds' and lists 183 men of the regiment lost and about 120 others evacuated wounded. In addition, 25 of the ship's crew died in the disaster which represented the biggest single loss of life off the Normandy invasion beaches.

The sunken after-part of the 'MV Derrycunihy' remains as a wreck site off 'Sword Beach' to this day.

John’s body was recovered and in accordance with tradition he received a Naval burial at sea with full honours with his name commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hampshire. At the time of his death John was 43 years old.

Third son of William Bancroft & Mary A H Bancroft, Blakeney, Gloucestershire.

A copy of this story is available for download here.

See also the Commonwealth War Graves Commission permanent digital memorial, ‘Evermore: Stories of the fallen’ relating to:-
Aircraft Identifier John Bavis Beeston BANCROFT