Notes
Cyril George Napper was born in Barnet on 26 December 1909, the second son of Elizabeth (née Matthews) and George Napper, director of a tailoring company. He was educated at the King’s School, Bruton until 1927, where he was a member of the Officer Training Corps and represented the school at hockey, cricket and rugby.
Cyril Napper entered Worcester College on 12 October 1928, but left in 1929 without taking a degree. He subsequently worked on the Stock Exchange and then as a salesman for the family tailoring business. Following the outbreak of the Second World War he entered the army in September 1939 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment on 23 March 1940. He was attached to the 1/5th Battalion Queen’s Royal Regiment (West Surrey) and was posted to the Middle East in May 1942, serving in Egypt from June that year.
On 24 October 1942 the Battalion attacked enemy positions between Deir El Munassib and Himeimat, during the attack Cyril Napper was injured and captured. Captain Cyril Napper died of his wounds five days later, on 30 October 1942, aged 32.
Cyril Napper is commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, and on the war memorials at King’s School Bruton and Worcester College, Oxford.