John Banner was born in Norton Worcestershire at a time when the Industrial Revolution was having a life changing effect on the traditional cottage industries in which his family had made their livelihoods. With the outbreak of World War One John answered the call to arms and joined the army. Shipped out to France in 1915 with the Wiltshire Regiment John became used to trench warfare. John was killed on the 6th day of the Battle of the Somme in July 1916 defending a captured German trench, his body was never identified and his name was placed along with 73,000 others on the Thiepval memorial near to Albert. By the early years of the new millennium, John's name was almost forgotten until a distant family member, came across it whilst compiling a family tree. This discovery sparked research to find out who John was and to tell his story.