Name
George Bygrave
Conflict
Second World War
Date of Death / Age
17/11/1943
36
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
5959610
The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
4th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ATHENS MEMORIAL
Face 5.
Greece
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, Hitchin Roll of Honour 1939 – 1945 (Book) St Mary’s Church, Hitchin
Biography
He was in the 4th Battalion of the Regiment and was given the Service Number 5959610. He had been born in Hertfordshire and, at the time of enlistment, was residing there.
On the 12th November 1943 Leros in the Dodecanese Islands was bombed and invaded by the Germans. The British and Italians held out for four days surrendering at 6.00pm on the 16th November when the garrison was overwhelmed by airborne and seaborne troops and constant bombing by Stuka dive-bombers. According to the Army Roll of Honour he died on the 7th November 1943.
He has no known grave, but is remembered on Face 5, on the Athens Memorial to the Missing.
His wife's first name was Kate, and she lived in Hitchin. His parents were Arthur and Susan Bygrave.
Acknowledgments
David C Baines – ‘Hitchin’s Century of Sacrifice’, ‘The Second World War’ by J. Hammerton
