William Beesley

Private, 30 Battalion the Rifle Brigade (Prince Consorts Own)

Register No.: 72 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
Rank: Private all Privates →
Unit: 30 Battalion the Rifle Brigade (Prince Consorts Own) (register: Prince Consort's Own (Rifle Brigade)) all Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) VCs →
Date of action: 8 May 1918 on this day → all of 1918 →
Conflict / campaign: First World War
London Gazette: 28th June 1918 on this day → all of 1918 →
Born: 5th October 1895 at Gresley, Staffordshire
Died: 23rd September 1966 at Abergavenny, Monmouthshire
Memorial / grave: on The Rifle Brigade Memorial, Winchester Cathedral
Medal held by: the Royal Green Jackets Museum

From Alf Askin's research notes

Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.

BEESLEY, William (Reg. No. 72)

Private 30 Battalion the Rifle Brigade (Prince Consorts Own).

London Gazetted on 28th June 1918.

VC Medal's Custodian is the Royal Green Jackets Museum.

Born on 5th October 1895 at Gresley, Staffordshire.

Died on 23rd September 1966 at Abergavenny, Monmouthshire Memorial on The Rifle Brigade Memorial, Winchester Cathedral. (William Beesley was buried at Coventry Warwickshire.)

Digest of Citation reads: On 8th May 1918 at Bucquoy, France, when Private Beesley's platoon sergeant and all this section commanders were killed he took command. Single-handed he rushed a post, shot four of the enemy, took six prisoners and sent them back to our lines. He and a comrade then brought his Lewis gun into action, inflicting many casualties and holding their position for four hours until the second private was wounded. Private Beesley, by himself, maintained his position until nightfall, when he returned to the original line with the wounded man and the Lewis gun which he kept in action until things quietened down

Alf's notes on his life

(William Beesley was buried at Coventry Warwickshire.) Digest of Citation reads: On 8th May 1918 at Bucquoy, France, when Private Beesley's platoon sergeant and all this section commanders were killed he took command. Single-handed he rushed a post, shot four of the enemy, took six prisoners and sent them back to our lines. He and a comrade then brought his Lewis gun into action, inflicting many casualties and holding their position for four hours until the second private was wounded. Private Beesley, by himself, maintained his position until nightfall, when he returned to the original line with the wounded man and the Lewis gun which he kept in action until things quietened down

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Alf recorded the memorial as: on The Rifle Brigade Memorial, Winchester Cathedral

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