Frederick Gerald Vesey Beard

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Frederick Gerald Vesey Beard

Postby Hingley » Tue Jun 04, 2013 8:25 am

I'm researching aspects of the Beard family as they intertwine around the Duffield & Dobell families (the main thrust of some research I'm doing on behalf of an elderly gentleman who can't get his head round the new technology).
Currently I'm looking at the career of 2nd Lt. F G V Beard who is mentioned in the Regiment website as being part of the 9th Battalion when they left for Gallipoli on 20th June 1915. The next mention I can find for him is a London Gazette entry dated 31 March 1916 where he is promoted from temporary 2nd Lt. to temporary Lt. with effect from January 20th 1916. He then turns up with the 4th Battalion as they leave Alexandria for France on March 5th 1916.
He was killed by a sniper on 4th July 1916 during the withdrawal of the 4th Bn after the Battle of Albert.
His Medal Record Index Card shows him as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Worcesters when he received his 15 Star and as a Lieutenant when he received his British & Victory Medals.
However the MRIC also shows him as a Corporal in the Royal Fusiliers.
There are Remarks: No Rank Service O/Seas (which presumably refers to why he didn't qualify for the 14 Star) and Dis to Comm 23.11.14 (which I take to mean that he was discharged from the R. Fus on taking up the commission in the Worcesters).

Leaving aside the application for the medals being made in 1923, 7 years after his death (presumably by a relative) I am somewhat stumped by a few things. Firstly I can find no records regarding his time in the R.Fus or of his switch to the Worcesters. Secondly I can find no records of his temporary ranks being made permanent. Thirdly, and probably most importantly, why was he moved from the 9th to the 4th whilst in Gallipoli? And finally (for the time being :) ) why is he shown as being in the 9th on the memorial at Thiepval when he was serving in the 4th, the 9th still being in Gallipoli?

Thanks to anyone who can unravel any of this.
Currently investigating the Beards, Duffields & Dobells as well as the Hillmans of Sussex.
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Re: Frederick Gerald Veseye Beard

Postby Simon_Fielding » Wed Jun 05, 2013 9:07 am

The Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919 database indicates he was 9th 'attached' 4th presumably as officer replacements were needed given the 4th's losses at Gallipoli...

Name: Frederick Gerald Vesey BEARD

Rank: T/LT

Initials: F G V

Regiment, Corps etc.: Worcestershire Regiment

Battalion etc.: 9th Battalion

Decoration:

Date died: 4 July 1916

How died: Killed in action

Supplementary Notes: (ATT 4TH)
Researching the 75 men of the Great War Memorial of St Anne's Church, Bewdley, Worcestershire .
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Re: Frederick Gerald Vesey Beard

Postby Simon_Fielding » Wed Jun 05, 2013 9:11 am

From the Regimental history HFM Stacke p.91 re 9th Bn embarking 20th June 1915

(a) The officers who embarked with the Battalion were :—Lt.-Col. M. H. Nunn, Majors W. C. Crofton, E. W. Boyd-
Moss, D.S.O. and W. Barker. Captains G. W. Rolph, W. D. Gibbon, R. B. Horsfield, J. V. Godfray, (Adjt.),
S. Munnick, E. M. Carter and W. Austin. Lieuts. R. N. Bellairs, T. Neame, G. T. Pearson, G. T. de Blaby,
C. E. Sladden, P. MacD. Sanderson, E. H. Hiscock, C. J. Tree and J. Higgs-Walker, 2/Lieuts. R. C.
Marshall, J. N. Lancaster, L. E. Hiscock, R. Cavanagh, C. W. Rawle, J. C. Bourne and F. G. V. Beard. Lieut,
and Quartermaster C. H. Inwood, and Lieut. I. M. Brown, R.A.M.C. The Battalion formed part of the 39th
Brigade, commanded by Brigadier-General W. de S. Cayley, with Captain N, K. Street of the Regiment as
his Staff Captain. Captain J. M. Graham went out with the Divisional Cyclist Company.
Researching the 75 men of the Great War Memorial of St Anne's Church, Bewdley, Worcestershire .
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Re: Frederick Gerald Vesey Beard

Postby Simon_Fielding » Wed Jun 05, 2013 9:15 am

Withdrawal from Gallipoli Jan 1916 - this seems to indicate he had already been attached to the 4th:

After darkness had fallen the final stages of the evacuation began. Once again the withdrawal
was elaborately planned, successive parties moving off at different hours. The rear-guard of the
4th Worcestershire was a party of 4 officers (c) and 82 N.C.O's. and men under Captain Hambling.
The rear-guard of the 39th Brigade, 2 officers (d) and 79 N.C.O's. and men of the 9th Worcestershire,
and 3 officers and 165 N.C.O's. and men of the 7th North Staffordshire, was again commanded by
Captain Conybeare.
The withdrawal from the trenches before Krithia was complicated by the fact that the
enemy's trenches were so close—often within sixty yards—that movement could easily be heard.
As a precaution, straw was put down in the trenches and, in the 4th Worcestershire at least, the
troops wore special '" blanket boots " cut from old blankets. Thanks to these precautions and
to the stormy wind the enemy apparently heard nothing.

(c) Capt. T. C. Hambling, Lieut. F. G. Beard, 2/Lts. S. Bannister and E. N. Perham. The rank and file were
picked men of " X " and " Y " Companies with a machine-gun under Sergt. Phillips.
(d) Lieut. E. K. Myles and 2/Lt. R. R. Davies.
(e) The main body of both the 4th and the 9th Bn left soon after dark and embarked at " W " Beach about
11.30 p.m. General D. E. Cayley and Colonel Faviell met on board the destroyer " Lydiard," together
with Major Kerans. Stacke p.113
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Re: Frederick Gerald Vesey Beard

Postby Simon_Fielding » Wed Jun 05, 2013 9:16 am

Neither Battalion was destined to stay long in Egypt (b). Early in February orders were issued
for the 9th Battalion to proceed to Mesopotamia. Their ship, as we shall see later, passed the camp
of the 29th Division, and the officers of the 4th Battalion boarded the troopship to wish the 9th
Battalion " God-speed."
Three weeks later it was their own turn to depart. Orders had come for the 29th Division
to proceed to France. On the night of March 14/15th the Battalion entrained at Suez and proceeded
to Alexandria. There the 4th Worcestershire embarked (c) on board the transport " Transylvania."
At nightfall on March 15th the " Transylvania " moved out of Alexandria Harbour and
steamed on her way north-westwards across the Mediterranean.

(a) On January 27th Lt.-Colonel E. A. A: de Salis D.S.O. joined the 9th Worcestershire and took over command.
(6) Since the 4th and 9th Battalions, during their stay in Egypt, formed part of the Army under Sir Archibald
Murray's command, the Regiment has been given the Battle Honour " Egypt 1916," for the services of the
two Battalions during this period ; but that Battle Honour does not represent, in our case, any actual engagement.
(c) The officers who embarked for France were :—Major E. T. J. Kerans (Commanding), Capts. A. E. Stokes-Roberts,
A. W. Brocks, R. C. Wynter, T. C. Hambling, Lts. C. Felix (Adjutant), F. G. V. Beard, J. A. Smithin, 2/Lts.
S. Bannister, L. L. Goold, G. W. Field, E. P. Daw, D. C. Dingley, A. V. Johnson, A. E. Tooze, E. N. Perham,
R. H. New, F. C. T. Woodhead, S. S. Harris, L. A. Bruton, L. A. W. Knight, Lt..& Q.M. H. C. Butler, Capt.
N. II. W. Saw R.A.M.C, and 8 officers attached from other regiments. p.115
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Re: Frederick Gerald Vesey Beard

Postby Simon_Fielding » Wed Jun 05, 2013 9:18 am

A mile further south, the 4th Worcestershire had remained in position facing Beaumont m
Hamel, since the opening day of the battle. Any idea of renewing attack in that sector had been
abandoned, and the activities of the Battalion were restricted to the repair of the defences and the
clearing of the battle-field. The latter was a difficult, dangerous and unpleasant task ; but it had
to be done, and the 4th Worcestershire and 1st Essex were the only battalions of the 29th Division
still capable of serious work; so no relief was possible and for thirteen long days and nights the
Battalion laboured on the trenches and in the open ground beyond. At first the task was complicated
by heavy rain: later the weather cleared and by July 6th the Battalion Diary recorded a visible
improvement. The enemy's artillery was active and the German snipers were on the alert. Casualties
were frequent and between the 2nd and the 14th of July (/) the Battalion lost 70 of all ranks (g).

(g) July 2nd and 3rd—27 killed and wounded. July 4th—Lieut. F. G. V. Beard killed by sniper. 1 killed, 21
wounded. July 6th—13th—6 killed, 14 wounded.
p.175
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Re: Frederick Gerald Vesey Beard

Postby Simon_Fielding » Wed Jun 05, 2013 9:29 am

I'd have to say the MIC was wrong as to France as theatre first served in - 2 12 15 might refer to the date he attached to the 4th Bn...
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Re: Frederick Gerald Vesey Beard

Postby Simon_Fielding » Wed Jun 05, 2013 9:34 am

ERROR://kingscollections.org/warmemorial ... rald-vesey

Beard, Frederick Gerald Vesey
Deaths among sons of Medical Men: Beard, F. G. V., Lieutenant, Worcester Regiment, eldest son of Dr. Beard of Croydon, killed on July 4th, aged 26. He was at Epsom College and at Trinity College, Dublin, joined the Public Schools Battalion in August, 1914, and got his commission as Lieutenant in the Worcesters on November 23rd, 1914, in July 1915, he went to Gallipoli and served there until the withdrawal, taking part in the evacuation of both Suvla Bay and Cape Helles. He went to France last month. British Medical Journal July 22nd, 1916
Biographical
Surname(s) Beard
First name(s) Frederick Gerald Vesey
Date of birth 17 December 1889
Family details Son of Frederic Beard, M.B., and Geraldine L. Beard, of The Old Smithy, Sanderstead, Surrey
Previous education Epsom College and Trinity College, Dublin
College Guy's Hospital
Qualifications B.A. (Dublin)
Military unit Worcestershire Regiment, 9th Bn. attd. 4th Bn.
War / conflict World War One (1914-1918)
Campaigns Gallipoli and France
Date of death 4 July 1916
Age at death 27
Rank at death Lieutenant
Cause of death Killed in action
Commemoration(s) Guy's Hospital Memorial; Thiepval Memorial; Aravon School, Bray, C. Wicklow (Master); Croydon Online; dublin.heritage ie;
Sources Guy's Hospital Medical School Records, King's College London Archives; Commonwealth War Graves Commission; Soldiers Died in the Great War; British Medical Journal
Researching the 75 men of the Great War Memorial of St Anne's Church, Bewdley, Worcestershire .
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Re: Frederick Gerald Vesey Beard

Postby Hingley » Wed Jun 05, 2013 2:53 pm

Thank you all very much.
So it looks like he transferred to the 4th in late 1915, presumably to replace lost junior officers, his promotion came through in early January (according to the London Gazette) under which rank he was involved in the rearguard (possibly because he was fresher?) covering the withdrawal from Krithia. Thence to Egypt and France.

Was it 'normal' practice to retain attached officers in the battalion to which they had been transferred rather than sending them back to their battalion of origin and replacing them with new recruits?

Interestingly (as far as I'm concerned) is that some of the Duffield's I'm researching were temporary officers in the Egyptian Labour Corps that provided logistic support in Gallipoli and Egypt. I don't suppose there's any way to find out if the E.L.C. actually supported the Worcesters is there?

From the Guy's Hospital Memorial List I understand that he joined one of the Public Schools Battalions formed around Epsom College (he had been a pupil there), this would have been the R.Fus mentioned in the MIRC. Is there any way to find out which of those battalions (there were several of them all formed on the same day) he joined?

Can anyone explain what the process was? Presumably he was enlisted into the PSB as a Private, was rapidly promoted to Corporal before applying for a commission but I can't find any of those early movements in the LG unlike H.W. Duffield whose early military career in the Inns of Court OTC resulting in a commission in the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry and a transfer to the Machine Gun Corps is reasonably well documented.
Currently investigating the Beards, Duffields & Dobells as well as the Hillmans of Sussex.
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Re: Frederick Gerald Vesey Beard

Postby Simon_Fielding » Wed Jun 05, 2013 3:14 pm

ERROR://www.1914-1918.net/royalfus.htm

18th (Service) Battalion (1st Public Schools)
Formed at Epsom on 11 September 1914 by the Public Schools and University Men's Force.
26 June 1915 : came under command of 98th Brigade, 33rd Division.
Landed in France in November 1915.
27 November 1915 : transferred to 19th Brigade, 33rd Division.
26 February 1916 : transferred to GHQ; disbanded on 24 April 1916 with many of the men being commissioned as officers.
Researching the 75 men of the Great War Memorial of St Anne's Church, Bewdley, Worcestershire .
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Re: Frederick Gerald Vesey Beard

Postby Hingley » Wed Jun 05, 2013 3:23 pm

Thanks, but that's one of several battalions formed on that day in that place. Why is it that particular one that would have provided the men for the Worcesters? After all, they went to Gallipoli not France and the MRIC suggests that his service in the R.Fus. was at home.

Sorry if I'm being particularly dense.
Currently investigating the Beards, Duffields & Dobells as well as the Hillmans of Sussex.
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