William Eric Basnett (known as Eric) was born on 23rd September 1926 at Canalside in Preston Brook. He was the son of Edward (Ted) Basnett and his wife Bertha (nee Jones). Ted had served in the First World War and then worked as a canal porter for the Manchester Ship Canal Company at Preston Brook. The Basnett family had two older daughters, Esther and Jessie, a son named Thomas Edward having died at the age of three years in 1920.
When war broke out in 1939 Eric was still at school, as the school leaving age was 14 years. The family were living on Chester Road in Sutton Weaver and Ted worked as a waterworks inspector. Esther and Jessie worked in a chemist’s shop and a draper’s shop respectively. Bertha looked after the home and family.
Eric was called up in October 1944 for National Service and then joined the Royal Army Service Corps, with a service number of T/14859844. Firstly, he was sent to Ballykinler in County Down and then trained as a driver at Hadrian’s Camp at Carlisle.
In October 1945 he sailed to India and in early 1946 he was transferred to the British and Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan. He served until January 1948 when he was demobilised, having attained the rank of Lance Corporal.
On 18th March 1950 at St Michael and All Angels in Runcorn, he married Audrey Hopwood, who was from the town. She was a year younger than him.
Eric worked for the Merseyside and North Wales Electricity Board after the war. He was an electrician and later ran his own business. He was a Society Steward for Preston Brook Methodist Chapel and a Scripture Reader. He also visited sick members of the chapel. The couple later moved to a bungalow in Sutton Weaver.
Audrey Basnett passed away in April 2015 and Eric Basnett passed away on November 12th, 2023 at the age of 97 years.
