Major, East Yorkshire Regiment
Born: July 21st 1907
Died: July 29th 1944
Age at Death: 37
House Prefect 1923
Head of House 1924
Cecil Grove (known as Jim to his family) was born on 21 July 1907 in Russia, to Henry Grove, a distinguished diplomat, later awarded the CBE, and his wife Lilian (née Hall). At the College he became Head of Stenning House.
On leaving the College, Cecil joined the army. In 1944 he was serving in the 2nd Battalion of the King’s Regiment, part of the 4th Infantry Division commanded by fellow Old Brightonian Major-General Francis Tuker.
In March the division landed on the German-occupied Italian mainland, which had been invaded by the Allies the previous year. Italy’s mountainous terrain made the advance up the country slow, and the 2nd King’s took part in the particularly tough fighting to capture Monte Cassino, part of the well-fortified Winter Line built by the Germans. Grove was wounded near Cortona, probably during the first week of July, as the battalion advanced on enemy lines. He died three weeks later of his wounds (not in September, as stated in the College Roll of Honour), and is buried at the Assisi War Cemetery.