218030 Pte. Percy Eric George Figg British Army 2/7th Btn. Queens Royal Regiment (West Surrey) from:Worthing, Sussex (d.18th Mar 1945) Percy Eric George Figg served with the 2/7th Battalion Queens Royal Regiment during WW2 and died age 27 on the 18th March 1945.
He is buried in the Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery having died on the freedom march after being held prisoner in Stalag 20a.
following his capture at St. Valery after Dunkirk.
He was the son of George Albert Arthur and Alice gertrude figg of Worthing, Sussex.
I have known about 3 people who had served in WWII. My uncle Percy Figg. Also my father Charles Figg who was Royal Navy and Major Bernard Wilmshurst from heavy artillery.
Percy was captured at St Valery after Dunkirk where he was supposedly transported to Stalag 20a where he saw the rest of the war out. He died unfortunately on the freedom march and his final resting place was Berlin war cemetery. I have not yet been to either of these places but I hope to very soon. I am surprised Percy fell as he was always as I have been told a master sportsman who was always respected by all in his home town of Worthing in Sussex.
My father Charles Figg was on a tank landing craft all the time. He saw all five invasions during his time in the war. He described the horrors of the war blow by blow. From the smell of death as the flotilla cruised around the shores of North Africa from decaying bodies in the hot sun. To waiting of the shores of Italy waiting for the naval bombardment to start and being woken up from the splash of water from a shell landing close to the carrier. Finally the Normandy invasions where all the American troops he was carrying were hit by a wall of bullets as the ramps dropped. Most never made it off the landing craft. We may scoff at the Yanks for being many things, but one thing for sure is those boys went up that beach the same as our boys did.
Major Bernard was a great character, famous for blowing the top off of Gosport town hall during some practice drills shortly before D day. He got it a couple of clicks too low and took the dome clean off. I always chuckle to myself when I see that building. Had many stories to tell including being faced by his superior officer during the France invasion onslaught. Montgomery himself.
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