Name
George De Beger
13 August 1885
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
17/08/1915
30
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
17376
Northamptonshire Regiment
5th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CITE BONJEAN MILITARY CEMETERY, ARMENTIERES
IX. B. 24.
France
Headstone Inscription
REST IN PEACE
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, Leverstock Green Village Memorial, Wesleyan (Bushey & Oxhey Methodist) Church Memorial, Oxhey
Pre War
George Montague De Beger was born in Notting Hill, Paddington on 13 August 1885, the son of Alice Mary Pearce and registered with her surname. She subsequently married George William De Beger in 1888, whose wife had died the previous year, and his surname was adopted for George.
George started school in 1890, firstly at St Clement's National School and later at Oxford Gardens School on 24 August 1891 shortly after his sixth birthday, but left the school soon afterwards when the family moved to Bushey.
On the 1891 Census the family were living in Kensington and George (Snr) was working as a plumber. The family moved to Bushey, Herts around 1897 by which time George had been joined by siblings Mabel, Florence, Albert, Frederick and Alice and on the 1901 Census the family were living at 77 Villiers Road, Bushey. George (Jnr.), then aged 15, was employed as a mason’s labourer.
In 1907, George (Jnr.) married Mabel Spires in Watford and they had two daughters, Mabel Irene (1908) and Gladys (1910) both born in Walthamstow.
His mother died on 31 January 1911 in Hammersmith Parish Infirmary, aged 53, from Brights Disease and at the time of the 1911 census George (Jnr.), by then a plumber like his stepfather, was living at 296 High Street Watford with his parents-in-law, Albert and Elizabeth Spires, his wife Mabel and their two daughters, Mabel and Gladys. They later had another daughter Alice in 1913.
Sadly, Mabel died on 9 May 1914 at just 27 years of age, from a perforated ulcer, when they were living at 75 School Lane in Bushey, leaving George with three small girls, whom he left with their grandparents at Bushey Fields in Watford when away working. Mabel's older sister Martha took in young Alice and formally adopted her when George died.
On Christmas Eve 1914, George married Minnie Woodwards at Holy Trinity, Leverstock Green whilst on leave from the army. His brother Albert had enlisted into the East Kent Regiment but was a witness to the marriage. His daughters Mabel and Gladys moved from their grandparents at Bushey Fields to live with their stepmother Minnie at 'Briars', Leverstock Green (Minnie's family home) and they were both baptised at Holy Trinity, Leverstock Green on 21st March 1915.
Wartime Service
George enlisted in Watford at the start of the war and joined the Norfolk Regiment. He was posted to the 9th Battalion and sent to Shorncliffe Camp, near Folkestone for basic training and was soon promoted to Lance Corporal. He was given leave to go home and get married in December 1914.
He was transferred to the 5th (Service) Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment, a newly formed Pioneer unit to be used for engineering and construction work on the Western Front and joined them at Hythe, Kent in January 1915. The following month the Battalion moved to Aldershot for final training and were sent to France, arriving on 31st May 1915.
In June and July the Battalion were carrying out works south of Ypres and near Ploegsteert Wood before moving to billets at Papot Farm near Armentieres in early August. Some casualties were sustained almost every day due to German shelling. The Battalion were planning the construction of a Light Tramway which was to begin the following day, but on 17th August the war diary recorded that "one man died of wounds", the man being George De Beger. He had been wounded on 16th August 1915 and died at 8am the following morning, 17th August 1915, at the 36th Field Ambulance, aged 30.
A letter written to his widow, Minnie, after his death by N. Cathcart, No. 1 Platoon Commander of "A" Company, 5th Northamptonshire Regiment contained the words: "He was a very good and steady worker, and was extremely popular with both officers and men".
George is buried at Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentieres Nord, in France.
Additional Information
Stepbrother to Albert who served with the 8th Btn. Buffs (East Kent Regiment) and was killed in action at the Battle of Loose on 26 September 1915. His widow received a war gratuity of £4 and pay owing of 4s 7d. She also received a pension of 18s 6d a week for herself and two children (Mabel and Gladys). A pension of 2 shillings a week for Alice was also paid quarterly in arrears to Mary Secretan of Bennetts End, Hemel Hempstead as administrator on her behalf. Alice lived with Martha Puddifoot (her aunt) at Everglen, Kings Langley. (Presumably the pension was passed on to Martha). Information provided with the kind permission of Bushey First World War Commemoration Project – Please visit www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk. Information also sourced from the Our Watford History website - Please visit ourwatfordhistory.org.uk
Acknowledgments
Andrew Palmer, Brenda Palmer
Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild, sites.google.com/site/leverstockgreenwarmemorial, www.hemelatwar.org, www,hemelheroes.com.
