FRED MEAD HANCOCK was serving as a Lance-Corporal in the 2nd/1st, The Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars (Worcester Yeomanry) when he died of menegitis on 25th June 1915. He was aged 28 and is buried in Broughton St Mary's Churchyard.

He was the son of Charles and Ellen Hancock and was born in Morebath, Devon, his father was a farmer firstly in Brailles then at Ley Farm in Enstone and lastly at Park Farm, North Newington. Fred had been a boarder at St Oswald's college in Shropshire and then joined the Great Western Railway as lad clerk in 1902 aged 15 firstly at Chipping Norton then Evesham and Littleton & Badeley. He was then a goods clerk at Moreton in Marsh, Evesham and in 1910 Chief Clerk  at Pershore, where he stayed until enlisting.  He was engaged to Miss G derrett of Wyre.

In September 1914 he enlisted into the Worcester Yeomanry. The 2/1sts were formed in September 1914 as a training/supply reserve for the 1/1sts. They moved to Cirencester in April 1915, where Fred Hancock died. He had suffered sunstroke whilst drilling and steadily his condition worsened.

Steve Kingsford