G-4878 Pte F. Beckwith Royal Sussex Regiment – Star and Victory

G-4878 Pte F. Beckwith Royal Sussex Regiment – Star and Victory.

Beckwith’s pension papers are online and the following account of his service has been taken from them.

Beckwith joined up on the 11.1.1915, he was under age at 16 years and 5 months old. Interestingly he married on the 11.1.1915, he most have came out of the church and walked to the recruiting office. Two major events in his life on the same day all before he was old enough to buy a beer. He was 5 foot 7½ and his occupation is listed as a painter.

His arrival in France on the 1^st June 1915 marked the start of a very eventful war. On the 19.9.1915 he was given 14 days field punishment. On the 9.10.1915 he was gassed and survived. On the 9.11.1916 he was wounded while serving on the Somme. It was a Blighty wound in his right arm/hand and he spent five months in hospital back in England.

He rejoined his regiment, serving with the 11^th battalion (The Cambridge Pals), he was unlucky again, depending on which way you look at it. He went missing on the 21.3.1918 the first day of the Germans last ditch spring offensive. On the 3.4.1918 it came to light he was a Prisoner of War. He was repatriated on the 29.11.1918, unfortunately his wound from 1916 had flared up and he needed the middle finger on his right hand amputated. The wound was still obviously and issue and affected his life as he was classed as 20% disabled and given the according pension. He stayed with the regiment 3^rd battalion until he was discharged on the 17.3.1919. He was 19 years 158 days old.