No.145394, Lieutenant, John BIGMORE
Aged 31
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John BIGMORE was born on 11th April 1910 in Haverhill (Risbridge Q1-1910 4A:892) son of Samuel Austen and Ruth Lambert BIGMORE (née PERRY). 1911 census...Aged 1 he was at Croft Lodge, Chauntry Road, Haverhill with his father Samuel Austen BIGMORE [41] certified accountant born in Haverhill, his mother Ruth [21] born Clare and sister Lillie [3] born Haverhill. John attended the local school and when he left, an aunt paid for him to have private tuition in typing and shorthand. With these skills he found employment in a local solicitor’s office, Popplewell, in Station Road, as a trainee solicitor in the firm. After completing his training he left Haverhill, moving to London where he found employment with Harrods, initially responsible for taking minutes at company meetings. He continued his studies at night school and completed a course in accounting, passing the exams that qualified him as a chartered accountant. In 1935, still employed by Harrods, he married Ellen Bell (known as Queenie) [12-2-1908] at Brompton Oratory, Kensington (Kensington Q3-1935 1A:553) and they set up home at 10 Irene Road, SW6. In the 1939 register John and Ellen were at 10 Irene Road, John recorded as Sgt Hm Army 6688200 "D" Coy, Queen's Westminster. While at 9 The Pightle, Haverhill were his father Samuel [28-9-1867] Income Tax Repayment Agency; his mother Ruth [6-8-1889], sister Ellen Doris [28-4-1914] (later Mrs ENGLISH), and brother Frederick A [21-9-1920] foreman in Dispatch at clothing factory. His father died in 1945, living at 9 Boyton Terrace, Haverhill. |
In the 1939 Register he was i the Territorials, but was then mobilised and commissioned into the Cambridgeshires. In the closing stages of the battle for Singapore, the 1st Cambridgeshires were fighting in the Adam's Park area of Singapore. On Friday 13th February they were around Hill 95. Captain Bill Gurteen took command and Lieut Bigmore took over "A" Company. By the 15th it was getting almost impossible to move between Companies due to the intense Japanese machine gun fire. Just hours before the surrender, John Bigmore, now Battalion HQ, was shot through the head and died, whilst Captain Gurteen was wounded. A detailed account of the actions of the 1st Cambridgeshires at this time is in Michael Moore's book "Battalion at War" ISBN 0 947893 24 5 |
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
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