Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of John and Fanny Hancox. The War Diary for today records. OLD BRIGADE HQ, FLESQUIRES. 3.00pm. Enemy attacked in large numbers. 59th Division Outpost line under Lt. Col. C. MARTYN D.S.O. M.C. 2nd/7th SHERWOOD FORESTERS withdrawn. Enemy attacked our line and was repulsed with heavy losses. 1 German machine gun (light) captured by number 10 platoon, 3 prisoners brought into Battalion HQ by 2nd/4th LINCOLNSHIRE REGT. Our casualties, 1 officer wounded, 4 other ranks killed, 25 wounded.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Coalville Times article - Friday December 6th, 1918

IN MEMORIAM

In loving memory of Private Victor William Hancox, killed in action in France, December 6th, 1917, aged 21 years.

“Only a British soldier,
Only a Mother’s pride,
He answered the call of honour,
Doing his duty he died.”

Coalville Times article - Friday January 11th, 1918

Mrs Hancox, a widow, residing at 27, James Street, Coalville has been officially informed that her son, Private Victor William Hancox, of the Leicesters, was wounded in action on December 6th, but a later message from another source, states that he was killed on that date. A sergeant writes that during an attack, they got to within 30 yds of the enemy, when Hancox was killed. Private Hancox, who was 21 years of age, had been in France ten months, and before joining up was in the employ of the Coalville Co-Operative Society at the Ellistown branch shop. Mrs Hancox has another son serving.

Coalville Times article - Friday January 24th, 1919

COALVILLE CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY

EMPLOYEE’S ROLL OF HONOUR

The 140th quarterly meeting of the Coalville Workingmen’s Co-Operative Society was held in the Adult School Hall on Saturday evening, Mr C. W. Brown, jnr. presiding over a good attendance.

The chairman said it was the first time since he had been chairman that he had been able to wish the members a happy new year, except with bated breath. They were glad that peace was at hand. The war had made many homes sad and they all hoped that at the peace conference now sitting some method would be arrived at in dealing with disputes between nations which would prevent anything of the kind happen again (hear, hear).

A letter was read from Mr W. Stacey, thanking the members for their vote of sympathy with him on the death of his son.

The chairman said that it had been remarked that the Society had made many appeals to the local Tribunal, but it was not generally known that 85 of their employees had joined the Forces. He regretted to say that ten had made the supreme sacrifice, their names being:

J. Horrocks (boot department), E. Stinchcombe, W. Mace (stables), J. Brooks (Bagworth grocery), V. Hancox, W. Tyers (Ellistown grocery), D. Drinkwater (Central bakery), W. Collier (Hugglescote grocery), R. Brooks (butchery), and T. Wild (tailoring).

From his loving Mother, Sisters and Brothers, 27 James Street, Coalville

Research undertaken and submitted by Andy Murby 12/7/2018