Sidney Charles Henry Firks
Memorial: South Gloucestershire war dead not on a local memorial
Regiment: Kings Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)
Medals: 1939–45 Star, War Medal 1939–1945
Rank and number: Private 5182611
Parents: Samuel Charles Edwin and Leah Elizabeth Firks
Marital status: Single
Home address: 2 The Batch, Castle Farm Road, Hanham, Bristol
Pre-war occupation: Looked after the bulldogs of Captain Berger Wheeler, his next door neighbour in Eastville
Date of birth: 1913
Date of death: 22/08/1943
Age: 31
Further information:
Sidney had a younger brother Gilbert and a sister Lilian. Sidney and Gilbert attended Eastville Boys School which is near the park. Both of the boys were in the Gloucestershire Territorial Army, based in the Drill hall in Bristol. Sidney was not keen on sports but accumulated a great number of cigarette cards. Sidney and Gilbert were conscripted to the army and fought in Dunkirk. Both were lucky to be evacuated from the beaches at Dunkirk. Gilbert returned to Germany and was captured by the Germans and imprisoned at Stalag 8 no. 8. He was shot in the leg but refused to have it amputated and in time it healed. At the end of the war he was discharged from the army but never recovered from his ordeal. He became a recluse and would sit in the corner of the room as if he was still in a cell. He suffered with boils and a few years after his discharge, he died of cancer. He is buried in Greenbank Cemetery in Bristol.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
This information is based by kind permission on the following source.
1) Booklet ‘Not Just a Name on Stone’ by Hanham Local History Society
2) Thanks to Mr R Crew and Mrs. M Antill of Hanham Local History society for their help
3) Jo Hurst, researcher for the South Gloucestershire Second World War Stories Project