12 replies to this topic

[ajw]

I'm looking for info on 9493 Private Ernest Cecil Beck his medal card index says he was in 1st Dorsetshire, he later became Acting Warrant Officer Class 2. He was awarded The Military Medal his rank was Serjeant Acting Company Serjeant Major in the 6th and the date of the gazette is 21/10/18.

[rjaydee]

There is a Private of that name listed as being in the Wiltshire Regt Le Marchant Barracks Devizes born 1893 Cranbourne (1911 Census). Ralph.

[Verrico2009]

Hi - and welcome to the Forum.

For those who can't see the MIC, he was awarded the trio, which included the 1914 Star and his date of entry was 16 August 1914.  I would have thought that for such an early entry into the war he would have been a pre-war regular, but unfortunately I can't find any papers for him on either Ancestry or FMP.

ETA: following Ralph's post, I can't see anything for the Wiltshire Regt man either.

[Justin H]

The regimental history has him Gazetted on 21/10/18.

CSM Beck is also mentioned on 10/09/18 when D Coy repilsed two counter attacks north of Equancourt during the battle of Bapaume. CSM Beck is noted as being on "fine form". The war diary for this date would be worth a closer look

[ajw]

How would i look at the war diary for that time

[Justin H]

Assuming it exists for that period, have a look at the documents repository section of the forum which has lists of copies of war diaries and dates covered that are held by forum members. If it does exist for that period, someone might be kind enough to look it up. Also the National Archives in Kew hold the originals of some war diaries. You can search on their website.

[Justin H]

A closer read of the regimental history reveals how CSM Beck won his MM as a Sgt during a raid on 3rd to 6th June 1918 between Hawthorn Ridge crater and Y Ravine at Beaumont Hamel

"CSM Beck killed six Germans and took eleven prisoners from two dug outs."

Hope this helps

[Simon Mills]

Here is the link at the National Archives for the 1st Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment's War Diary:

http://www.nationala...1.y=4&image1=GO

And the 6th Battalion:

http://www.nationala...1.y=6&image1=GO

Hope this helps,

S.

[ajw]

Thanks for the info. Hope to find as much as I can about him. The history i have on him is at the start and the end, i hope to fill the middle a bit.

[ajw]

The LG supplements says
9493 Sjt. (A./Coy./S.M.) E. C. Beck, Dorset
R. ([E] Winchester).

what does the bits in brackets mean

[rjaydee]

Enlisted ?

[Malcolm Linham]

Ajw

To expand on Justin H post above, information from " The History of the Dorsert Regiment 1914 - 1919"
A raid was planned to take place on the German lines on June 8th 1918 just south of Beaumont Hamel it was to be combined effort of the 6th Dorsets and East Yorks each battalion finding 16 officers and 500 hundred men each.
The area selected was  was a frontage of 500 yards and included three lines of trenches to a depth of400 yards, a hugh mine crater ( Hawthorn Crater ) lay in the East Yorks sector whilst in the Dorset's sector lay Y ravine.
The ground had been reconnitered on the ground and by ariel photographs, a model was constructed and poured over by officer's and Nco's nothing was omitted to ensure success.
Zero hour was 22:05 hrs, after a rum ration the Dorset's went over in four lines moving like clock work, under a barrage which moved forward fifty yards every two minutes.
It was a fierce and murderous business of not an hours duration during which time CSM  Beck killed 6 Germans and captured  another 11from two dugouts.
At zero plus fifty the withdrawl started, the casaulities were quite heavy 2 officers killed 7 officers wounded 9 O/R's killed 110 wounded and 29 missing.


9th September 1918 Dorset's are in an old trench system about 4,ooo yards east of Equancourt , at 05:15 hrs on the 10th September 1918 the brigade was to have attacked
the barrage was fired but thier were no men to follow, two counter attacks were made on  D Company up communications trenches were repulsed CSM Beck being in good form.
The front was some 1,000  yards wide patrolling had to be active as the enemy wasdiscovered 200 yards away.

Hope this assists

Malcolm

[SPotter]

Gents,

From my records:
Regt No. 9492 enlisted 4th January 1913
Regt No. 9494 enlisted 8th January 1913

It is safe to assume therefore that EC BECK enlisted on one or other of these dates or on a day in between. The 16th August was the day the 1st Battn. landed in Le Havre with the BEF.

Regards
Steve