Page 100 - Who Was Sapper Brown

Lance Corporal James Hall
31 year old (died 14 October 1940) of The Loyal Regiment (North
Lancashire) thereby earned the double distinction of being the first Second World War burial at

Nicosia British Cemetery, and the first burial at Nicosia War Cemetery. 12

A Distinguished Veteran of Both World

Wars – A George Cross Recipient

Theodore Kosta Bogdanovitch, GC

Born in the town of Bogdans in Serbia in 1900, Theodore Bogdanovitch served in the First World War,

being wounded in action. He joined the Serbian Guard at the age of 15 and because of his knowledge of
English and qualities of leadership and loyalty he rose to command the detachment of Serbian Guards

outside the British HQ in Constantinople. In 1924 he joined the Palestine Gendarmerie and after the
force was split he joined the Transjordan Frontier Force. He was awarded the Empire Gallantry Medal

for his actions in an Arab revolt in 1939 where he rallied his troops when his commander was killed,
going on to personally kill the leader of the enemy forces.

In September 1940 this award was converted into the George Cross, an honour equal to the Victoria

Cross. The author is not aware of any other George Cross recipients buried in Cyprus.13

Bogdanovitch became a naturalized British citizen in 1944, visiting England only once, to watch the

Coronation in 1953, almost certainly having been invited in his capacity as a holder of the George Cross.
He retired from the Transjordan Frontier Force in 1947 to live in Cyprus, where he took a security job in

the Cyprus Mining Corporation. He was killed by EOKA gunmen during the Cyprus Emergency.

12 The cause of death of Lance Corporal James Hall is listed as ‘liver abscess’ in the Register of Nicosia British Cemetery.
13 There is similarly only one Victoria Cross recipient buried in Cyprus, namely Sergeant Samuel McGaw, 42nd Royal
Highlanders (The Black Watch), who died on 22 July 1878 near Chiflik Pasha camp and is now buried at The Old British
Cemetery, Kyrenia.

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