Sgt. Jack Rich
British Army 1st Btn. A Coy. Middlesex Regiment
from:London
(d.23rd December 1941 )
Sergeant Jack Rich was my uncle. He was the son of Jewish immigrants and born Ovaser Ricklovitch, he was a tailor. By the time he was called up for military service Ovaser had changed his name to George Rickman, at some point George became Jack and Rickman was shortened to Rich. As Jack Rich he became an army boxing champion and as Sergeant Jack Rich he gave his life for his country in Pillbox 14 during the battle for Hong Kong.
Pillbox 14 was on the east-facing shore of Brick Hill, giving covering fire over Deep Water Bay. When the Japanese pushed west, they had to take the position to eliminate the machine guns. According to Carew (and he knew more about the Middlesex than any other regiment, so I believe it is correct), Marsh, the CO of C Coy was at Little Hong Kong (where I am giving my presentation on April 1st) and was on the phone from there to Sergeant Rich all through the battle for the position. In a straight line, it would only be half a mile away. The pillbox was finally overrun, and all inside perished. Rumours persist that they may have been captured alive and murdered. Middlesex soldiers were seen, tied up and bayoneted, in that general area, but there is no proof of who they were. Interestingly, the police force here has a legend that a few years after the war, policemen on a cross country run on Brick Hill found a skeleton crouched over a rusting Vickers machine gun in a gully nearby.
