BOGGIS, Basil John


No.14664830, Lance Corporal, Basil John BOGGIS
Aged 29


3rd Battalion, Irish Guards
Killed in Action on Monday, 2nd October 1944


Basil John Boggis was born on 27th August 1915 in East Ham (West Ham Q4-1915 4A:428), son of John Sydney and Violet Edith BOGGIS (née MILLER).

Employed as a joiner with B.G.Brooks Ltd, Barkingside, he joined the Essex Constabulary on 13th June 1938 (P.C.188, No.3270). After training at HQ he was posted to Braintree on 6th August 1938. He was posted to Witham the day after war broke out and in September 1939, single, a police constable, he was at "Hillcrest", Rickstones Road, Witham, Essex, seemingly a lodger with Elizabeth Attley. Whilst there he married Hilda Victoria FOAY of Hatfield Peverel (West Ham Q2-1940 4:766). Posted then to Steeple Bumpstead he remained there until leaving the Police on 13th September 1943 to join the Army.

Some of the above is from http://www.essex.police.uk/memorial/second-world-war.php?ww2Id=9


The 3rd Irish Guards formed part of the 32nd Guards Infantry Brigade. They were part of the ground force that was held up on the way to connect with the Airborne troops at Arnhem. They eventually reached Eindhoven and via a hastily constructed bailey |Bridge, crossed the Wilhelmina Bridge and got the Nijmegen. Here they delayed again as the bridge there had not been taken. All too late, the Airborne were forced to surrender and on 25th September it was all over. The 3rd Irish Guards were somewhere between Elst and Bemmel when the Germans counter-attacked to force the Allies off "The Island", the low lying area between the Waal at Nijmegen and the Neder Rijn at Arnhem. It seems that Basil, with 5 comrades, was killed near Aam.

war diary:-
October 2 AAM At dawn a counter attack began again in some strength, this time directed from the NORTH on to the area of No. 2 Coy. It consisted of inf, sp by tks and flamethrowers and succeeded in over-running the left hand pl posn. This compelled No.2 Coy to withdraw from their isolated posn to the rd parallel with No. 4 Coy at 719708. Very hy arty sp succeeded time and again in breaking up the enemy inf attacks before they were ever able to get properly under way, and by 12:00 hrs the attack had definitely proved itself a failure and the enemy were withdrawing. Another Coy of 1WG was placed under comd during the morning and positioned on the NW flank at 712705. At noon we were informed that 5 Gds Armd Bde was to be relieved by 21 Gds Bde the ensuing night, and shortly afterwards recce parties from 5 COLDM GDS arrived to recce their new area. The hand-over was completed without much difficulty and during the early hrs of darkness, the Bn withdrew to a conc area SOUTH of the NIJMEGEN br at 656556.

His original grave was (one of 10 Guardsmen) beside the house at Map sheet 388-MR-714704 15136 and he was re-interred in Oosterbeek on 14th September 1945.


photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission



Basil Boggis is buried in Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery, grave 11:A:7
also commemorated in St Andrews Church, Hatfield Peverel and the plaque at Essex Police HQ, Chelmsford.

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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