Name - William Beesley ...... VC Won - 1918 ........ Location - Bucquoy, France Medal Entitlement: Victoria Cross, Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM), 1939 - 45 Star, Air Crew Europe Star, Defence Medal (1939-45), War Medal (1939-45) VC Action: William Beesley VC (5 October 1895-23 September 1966) was 22 years old, and a private in the 13th Battalion, The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own), British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. William Beesley was just 18 when he joined the Rifle Brigade in 1914. Over the next four years, he served in trench warfare on the Western Front in France. After initial service in the Ypres sector with the 9th Kings Royal Rifle Corps, he was transferred to the 13th Battalion of the Rifle Brigade and saw action during the Somme Offensive with a machine-gun section. He was wounded twice during this time and bore shrapnel scars for the rest of his life. By early May 1918, the 13th Battalion, the Rifle Brigade, were at Bucquoy, a French village south of Arras in the Pas-de-Calais region. On May 8, it was decided that two companies should carry out an assault on the enemy in the vicinity, with Private Beesley in the left assault company. No covering artillery fire had been organised for the daring daylight raid and the troops immediately became the target of heavy gunfire. The battalion was to lose more than 100 men that day. Private Beesley, was in the leading wave of the left company’s attack. Enemy fire quickly took the lives of his platoon sergeant and all the section commanders so Beesley took command. Armed with just a revolver, he single-handedly rushed a machine-gun post, killing two of the enemy and then dispatching a third who attempted to take their place. When three more Germans appeared from a dug-out, he called on them to surrender. He shot one of them to stop him from destroying a map. Following the arrival of a comrade with a Lewis gun, Beesley used this with great effect against the enemy, and the two men held onto their position for four hours under heavy gunfire. During a counter-attacked by the Germans, the other soldier was wounded but Beesley carried on alone. It was largely due to his actions that the remainder of the company were able to withdraw without further loss. Eventually, under the cover of darkness, Beesley helped his wounded colleague back to base, along with the Lewis gun. He achieved the rank of sergeant and after demobilization in 1919 he returned to coal mining. He served in the Royal Artillery as an instructor at the beginning of World War II. In 1996, aged 70, he was suddenly taken ill while on holiday in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales, and died in hospital there on September 23. William Beesley Birth - Oct. 5, 1895 Death - Sep. 23, 1966 World War I Victoria Cross Recipient. Born in Gresley, Staffordshire, he was a miner in civilian life. After initial service in the Ypres sector with the 9th Kings Royal Rifle Corps, where he was wounded twice, he was transferred to the 13th Battalion of the Rifle Brigade and saw action during the Somme Offensive with a machine-gun section. He was awarded the VC for action at Bucquoy, France, May 8, 1918. From his citation: "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." After demobilization in 1919 he returned to coal mining for a time, got married, served in the Royal Artillery as an instructor at the beginning of World War II, then took a job with a tool and die works in Coventry until his retirement in 1960. He was suddenly taken ill while on holiday in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales, and died in hospital there. His medals are in the collection of the Royal Green Jackets Museum, Winchester. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=13167261
