Fireman. Killed by enemy action.
Fireman Harold George Maxwell Huggett was born on 30 September 1899 in West Ham, the elder son of George Edward Alfred Huggett (1875-1943) and Eleanor Jessie Huggett née Young (1876-1949). His father was a furniture dealer and house furnisher. The 1901 census shows him living at 1 Plaistow Grove, West Ham, with his parents and paternal uncle, Benjamin Huggett (1884-1961).
His brother, Royston Joseph Heulin Huggett (1903-1980), was born on 6 June 1903 and in the 1911 census he is shown residing at 110 Plaistow Road, West Ham with his parents and brother. His sister, Eleanor Thelma Huggett (1913-1969) was born on 22 September 1913.
He joined the Royal Navy on 13 December 1917, service number F43630 giving his occupation as a shop assistant and was rated A.C.2. He was attached to HMS President II (Crystal Palace) and HMS President II (Felixstowe) until 31 March 1918 when he was transferred to the Royal Air Force on its formation on 1 April 1918 and his service number became 243630.
The 1939 England and Wales register shows him still at 110-112 Plaistow Road, West Ham, with his parents and siblings. His occupation is listed as 'Asst Shop Furniture Trade' and it also records him as 'AFS West Ham No.351'.
He was killed as a result of enemy action, aged 41 years, on 20 March 1941 at Plaistow Road, West Ham, and was buried along with another Auxiliary Fire Service member, Arthur James Goreham, in a grave at the City of London Cemetery and Crematorium, Aldersbrook Road, Newham. Administration of his estate was granted to his father on 13 November 1941 and his effects totalled £2,243-12s-10d.
He is also commemorated in the Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour 1939-1945 located just outside St George's Chapel at the west end of Westminster Abbey. His name is also shown on the National Firefighters Memorial, Sermon Lane, London, EC4 and in the Firefighters Memorial Trust's Book of Remembrance. Although the Book of Remembrance gives his date of death as 19 March 1941, his gravestone, probate records and the Civilian Roll of Honour all record the date as 20 March 1941.
Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk and Andrew Behan.
