Bacon, George A. (d. 1962)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1962 Aug 9 p. 3

Birth date:

text of obituary:

Germ War Scientist Dies of “Black Death”

A British germ war scientist died last week of the pneumonic plague — the dreaded Black Death which ravaged Europe in the Middle Ages.

Health authorities immediately took precautions against the spread of the highly contagious disease after announcement of results of an autopsy on George A. Bacon, research officer at Britain's principal germ warfare establishment.

Bacon was doing microbiological research on pneumonic and bubonic plague. He died five days after being stricken.

The two lethal diseases were called the Black Death in the 14th century. Its ravages are believed to have killed as much as half of Europe's population at that time.

Like the United States and Russia, Great Britain has carried on germ warfare experiments for some years.