[Illustration: =Ostcliffe H. Beaufort.=]
=BECHER, HENRY OWEN DABRIDGCOURT=, Capt., 1st Battn. (Scottish Rifles) Cameronians, elder _s._ of the Rev. Harry Becher, Rector of Rosscarbery, co. Cork, by his wife, Zoê Louisa, dau. of the late R. M. Hudson, of Oak Lea, Sunderland; _b._ Curate’s House, Houghton-le-Spring, co. Durham, 15 Aug. 1889; educ. Grammar School, Haverfordwest, Marlborough and Sandhurst; was gazetted to the 1st Battn. Cameronians, 20 April, 1910, and promoted Lieut. 15 Feb. 1913, and Capt. 11 March, 1915. On the outbreak of war he went to the Front with the first Expeditionary Force, and served continuously through the winter of 1914–15, including the retreat from Mons, etc. He was killed in action at Bois Grenier, 13 March, 1915, two days after he had obtained his company, and was buried with four brother officers behind the police barracks at Bois Grenier; _unm._ Major Oakley, in command of the regt. at the time, wrote that he was killed “about 9 a.m. He was going his company trenches and was talking to some men. He stood right up, but only just showing, when he was shot dead. He was in command of C Coy. at the time, and had been ever since Capt. Jack left sick. You know how highly we all thought of him. As for myself, I feel it impossible to write all I think. He has been my constant companion and right-hand man in the company ever since the regt. came home from S. Africa--so hard working, reliable, clever, good with the men and beloved by all on this campaign. What we all thought of him in peace has been more than proved in war.” And Brig.-Gen. F. Gordon: “As Commander of the 19th Infantry Brigade, I wish to express to you my heartfelt sympathy in the death, in the trenches, of your dear son, Capt. H. O. D. Becher, 1st Cameronians. He was a very gallant and valuable young officer, of the type that can ill be spared at such a time. He was not only a particularly efficient and capable officer, but was a general favourite.”
=BECHER, MAURICE ANDREW NOEL=, Capt., 1st Battn. King’s Own Scottish Borderers, only _s._ of Brig.-Gen. Andrew Cracroft Becher, of Howbury, St. Andrews, Fife, late Norfolk Regt., and now commanding the .... Division, by his wife, Frances Maude, dau. of the late Maurice Johnson, of Ayscough Fee Hall, co. Lincoln; _b._ Lowestoft, 30 Dec. 1884; educ. Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge; gazetted to the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, 28 June, 1905, promoted Lieut. 24 July, 1907, and Capt. 15 May, 1914. On the outbreak of war he returned with his battn. from India in Oct. 1914, and proceeded to the Dardanelles with the 29th Division. He was killed, 26 April, 1915, the morning following the landing at Y Beach, Gallipoli, conspicuous to the last, as the few survivors relate, by his coolness and daring. He _m._ at St. Andrews, 18 Dec. 1912, Violet Isabel, yr. dau. of Charles Todd, of St. Andrews, and left two daus.: Frances Isabel, _b._ 16 Dec. 1913; Anne Violet, _b._ 26 Sept. 1915.
[Illustration: =Maurice Andrew Noel Becher.=]
=BECK, ARTHUR=, Private, No. 13356, 4th Battn. Coldstream Guards; 3rd _s._ of John William Beck, of 119, Latimer Road, Eastbourne, by his wife, Alice, dau. of David Styles, of West Hoathly, co. Sussex; _b._ Turner’s Hill, co. Sussex, 22 Oct. 1894; educ. there; enlisted 31 Oct. 1914, and _d._ at Caterham Military Hospital, 7 Feb. 1915, of spotted fever and meningitis contracted while on active service; _unm._
=BECK, JOSEPH=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 3130), S.S. 506, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.
=BECK, ROBERT LEONARD=, Acting Leading Stoker, K. 11017, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BECKETT, RICHARD=, A.B. (R.F.R., Ch. B. 693), 125116, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BEDDOW, RICHARD CHARLES=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., B. 4338), S.S. 102882, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.
=BEDFORD, CONRAD THOMAS=, Private, No. 9499, 1/5 Battn. (London Rifle Brigade) The London Regt. (T.F.), only _s._ of Thomas Arthur Bedford, Clerk in the London Joint Stock Bank (_d._ 24 Nov. 1899), by his wife, Clara, dau. of Walter W. Roberts, of Upper Holloway; _b._ Bowes Park, N., 8 Aug. 1891; educ. Seaford College (Col. Savage), Sussex, where he was for four years in the College Cadet Corps (attached to the Royal Sussex Engineers) and left with the rank of corpl. On leaving school in 1909, he became a clerk in the London Joint Stock Bank, and in Feb. 1913, joined the London Rifle Brigade. On the outbreak of war he volunteered for foreign service, went to the front with the L.R.B., 4 Nov. 1914, was slightly wounded by a gunshot in the right shoulder at Ploegsteert at 2 a.m. on 27 Feb. 1915, and died at the American Women’s War Hospital, Paignton, South Devon, 15 March, following, of blood poisoning; _unm._ A comrade wrote: “May I say how keenly his death was felt by the men who knew him and liked him, as we all did. He was one of the cheery ones always, and always ready to do everything he could to help anyone.”
[Illustration: =Conrad Thomas Bedford.=]
=BEDFORD, HAROLD=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 4821), S.S. 1709, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.
=BEDFORD, HERBERT=, Gunner, R.M.A. (R.F.R., B. 532), late R.M.A., 5559, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BEE, HARRY=, Leading Seaman, J. 5226, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BEECH, ALBERT=, Private, No. 10385, 1st Battn. Coldstream Guards, _s._ of James Beech, of Blyton, Gainsborough, Lincoln, by his wife, Rhoda, dau. of John Warriner; _b._ Blyton, 3 March, 1893; enlisted Aug. 1913, went to the front with the Expeditionary Force, and was reported missing after the Battle of the Marne, 29 Oct. 1914, and is now supposed to have been killed on that date; _unm._
=BEECHAM, ARTHUR ROBERT=, Sergt., R.M.A., 5645, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.
=BEECHING, JOHN=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 6257), H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BEECHING, LUKE=, A.B. (Ports.) 208406, R.N., _s._ of John Beeching, by his wife, Eliza; _b._ Hastings, 1 Sept. ...; educ. there; joined the Navy in 1901, and was lost when H.M.S. Cressy was torpedoed in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. He _m._ Portsmouth, 27 July, 1908, Mary Ann Elizabeth (C.G. Station, Walmer, Kent), dau. of George William Good, R.N., and left one son and two daus.: Henry Alexander, _b._ 30 July, 1910; Dorothy Cecilia, _b._ 10 April, 1913; Hilda Cressy, _b._ 2 Nov. 1914.
=BEECROFT, GEORGE=, Private, No. 8998, 1st Battn. Suffolk Regt., _s._ of William Richard Beecroft, Private, No. 9866, 8th Battn. Suffolk Regt., by his wife, Ellen (25, Rope Walk, Ipswich), dau. of Samuel Cracknell (late of Bradfield, co. Essex); _b._ Chiswick, 2 Jan. 1897; educ. Clifford Road School, Ipswich; enlisted 21 July, 1914, and was killed by a sniper in trying to get some water for a wounded comrade at the Battle of Ypres, 18 Feb. 1915; _unm._
[Illustration: =George Beecroft.=]
=BEER, FREDERICK JAMES=, Private, No. 8251, 2nd Battn. Coldstream Guards, _s._ of James Beer, of 18, Kinsman Dale, Moretonhampstead, co. Devon, steam crane driver in granite quarry, by his wife, Eliza Ann, dau. of John Underhill Ford; _b._ Moretonhampstead, 20 June, 1890; educ. Pound Street Boys’ School there; enlisted 9 Jan. 1909; served three years with the colours, and then passed into the Reserve, joining the Tiverton Police Force. On the declaration of war he was called up, left Windsor on 26 Aug. 1914, arrived at Southampton at 9.30 p.m., and went on board the Lake Michigan, sailing at 3.30 on the morning of the 27th. Extracts from his diary state: “Arrived at Havre 4 o’clock on the 28th, and went into camp; distance seven miles. Left camp Monday afternoon about 3 o’clock, and embarked on board the Minneapolis, and after a rough voyage arrived at destination and went into camp about three miles west of St. Nazaire, about 18,000 in camp. Left St. Nazaire on 18 Sept. by train, passing through Segre. Took part in the battle of Chevonne. On 25 Sept. took up our position in trenches. Could hear the band of the Germans playing. 5 Oct. went out sniping, got shelled, and brought in a wounded comrade from a wood to the trenches, a distance of 200 yards. A shell exploded injuring five. On 4 Oct. attacked the Germans to the left of the town of Boeschebe and drove them off; 26 Oct. saw an aeroplane burned at 3 o’clock.” He was killed in action at Rentel Woods, Belgium, 5 Nov. 1914; _unm._
[Illustration: =Frederick James Beer.=]
=BEER, GEORGE HENRY=, Boy, 1st Class, J. 23495 (Devon.), H.M.S. Hawke; lost in action in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914.
=BEER, HARRY=, Private, G. 30, 2nd Battn. East Kent Regt. (The Buffs), _s._ of Frederick Beer, of 40, Chapel Street, Ramsgate; served with Expeditionary Force in France, etc.; killed in action, 29 Sept. 1915.
=BEER, WILLIAM EDWARD=, Drummer, No. 8113, 1st Battn. East Kent Regt. (The Buffs), _s._ of William Beer, of The Green, Littlebourne, near Dover; served with the Expeditionary Force in France, etc.; killed in action, 11 Nov. 1914.