Name
Edward Beacher
15 February 1885
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
18/04/1915
29
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
13011
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 31 and 33.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Little Berkhamsted War Memorial, Not on the Essendon memorials
Pre War
Edward Beacher was born on 15 February 1885 in Essendon, Hertfordshire, the son of George and Mary Beacher, and baptised on 26 April 1885 at Little Berkhamsted. He was one of seven children, although one died in infancy.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at Manor House Lodge, Little Berkhamsted where his father was working as an agricultural labourer. They remained in Little Berkhamsted in 1901 but had moved to Village Street and 16 year old Edward was then working as a bread baker's boy. By 1911 he was a gardener living with his parents and three sisters in Little Berkhamsted.
Wartime Service
Edward enlisted at Hertford, joining the 1st Battalion. Bedfordshire Regiment, and served in France from 11 March 1915.
Five weeks later he was killed in action on 18 April 1915, aged 29, during the ‘Battle of Hill 60’ . He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £4 8s 4d. She also received a pension of 15 shillings a week.
(N.B. the spelling of Berkhamsted has varied over time including Berkhampstead and Berkhampsted, but the usual present day spelling is used for consistency).
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Martin Cope, Jim Maynard
