George Biggs
George Edward Biggs was born 27 January 1884 in Essex, England. He was one of 9 children born to Edward and Eliza Biggs of Essex, England, where Edward worked as an agricultural labourer. George was the fifth of six sons, and the second youngest overall. His brother James, who was 2 years older, enlisted with the 3rd/5th Leicestershire Regiment and served on the Somme in July 1916 where he contracted TB. He passed away from the disease in 1918.
Before making the trip across the ocean to Canada, George worked in one of the area cement factories, as did his brother James. In 1907, George married Daisy Allen, and in 1910 they emigrated to Canada where George would work as a painter and plasterer in the trades.
George enlisted on 22 September 1914 in Valcartier with the 14th Battalion, Royal Montreal Regiment. After training in during the winter on Salisbury Plain, he left for France in April 1915, and was just 18 days in the trenches during the Battle of Hill 60 at Richebourg when he was killed in action on 20 May 1915. His Circumstances of Casualty listing states: This soldier was acting as a bomber during the advance made by his Battalion at Richebourg. An enemy shell burst directly in front of him, exploding one or more of the bombs which he was carrying, killing him instantly. The 14th Battalion war diary doesn’t note the action in which he was killed.
George Biggs’ name is on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, which honours all Canadians who served during the First World War and bears the names of those who died in France with no known grave. He was 31 years old.
