Capt John Vivian Nancarrow was killed in action, aged 29, on the 24th of April 1915 near Fortuin, Ypres. He was the eldest son of George Bennett Nancarrow and Charlotte Alice Nancarrow, of "Ravenscroft," Grove Hill, Middlesbrough.
He was born in Middlesbrough, N Yorks on the 6th June 1885 and educated at Leys School and Kings College, Cambridge [M.A. and LL.B.]. Admitted a Solicitor in 1909 and became Secretary to Middlesbrough Chamber of Commerce. At the 1911 census he was boarding at 19 Basset St, Camborne, Cornwall.
He joined the 1st Vol Bn of the Durham Light Infantry in 1907 and was later attached to the Northumberland Fusiliers at Newcastle and then to the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry before settling in Middlesbrough, where he became a Lieut in the 4th Yorks. He took a very active part in the Boy Scouts movement in connection with the settlement in Newport Rd, Middlesbrough. After a school of instruction he was promoted to Captain in the latter part of 1913.
During the day of the 24th April in the attack at Fortuin he was seen cheering on his men and in the advance he stopped to bind up the wound of a Private who had fallen and then hurried forward. After making several rushes at the head of his men towards the enemy's position, he was shot and died almost instantaneously.
His Colonel wrote of him that "he behaved like a hero".
He was engaged to be married to Miss Elizabeth Ethel "Elsie" Harkess of Stokesley, N Yorks.
[She died aged 73 on the 13th June 1965 on the Isle of Wight. Her father was Hedley Harkess, Chairman of Harkess Shipbuilders of Middlesbrough, of which town he was Lord Mayor in 1907. The family lived at Levenside, Stokesley. Her brother, William Ridley Harkess, served with the 5th Bn Yorkshire Regiment from 1914 till after the end of hostilities attaining the rank of Captain in 1921.