Lionel Basco

Gunner, Royal Artillery
125 Anti Tank Regt.
Service number: 1558132
Died 1 May 1943
Buried Chungkai War Cemetery, Thailand
Age 28


Lionel was born on 5 February 1915 in Mile End, London to Russian father Hyman Bascovitch, a tailor’s machinist, and Matilda nee Taylor and he had two younger sisters Dora and Esther. Lionel married Maria Simons in Stepney, London in 1938 and in 1939 they were living at 277 Western Avenue, Dagenham and were they both worked as machinists. Lionel enlisted early in the war and was sent to serve in the Far East. He was captured by the Japanese on 15 February 1942 and was sent to Kanchanaburi POW camp. Records state that he died from Beri Beri on 29 December 1942 but his death was not reported until 1 May 1943.