Ernest Beckwith

Ernest Beckwith was born at 13 Cardigan Street, Stockton-on-Tees, April 26th 1890, the only son of David Beckwith (Howden 1864 - Easington 1925) and Margaret Barrass (Shotton 1870 - Easington 1937). At the time of his son’s birth David was a police constable, prior to that he had been a coal miner at Job’s Hill Colliery, Crook. Some ten years later, in 1901, he again was working as a miner stone man below ground in Newfield. In 1911 Ernest was a boarder with Mrs Isabel Darling of Shields Row (Back), Byker working as a miner stone man below ground.

Ernest was educated at Felling Council School.

He married Elizabeth Ann Smith, March 9th 1912 at St. Mary’s Heworth, (witnesses half sister Mary Hannah Goodfellow, my grandmother, and her half brother, William Goodfellow). They moved to 4, Havelock Street, and that same year had a new born daughter Cicely, followed by a son Ernest born in early 1914, who died at 18 months old in August 1915 of meningitis, whilst his father Ernest was undergoing military training. Ernest (jnr) is buried at St. Mary’s Heworth.

Ernest had enlisted in Newcastle -upon-Tyne, October 30th 1914, assigned to the 18th [Service] Battalion, 1st Tyneside Pioneers, Northumberland Fusiliers, as Private 18/628 and was assigned to, 10th Platoon, (52 including officers and men), 'C' Company, 18th Battalion, part of the 34th Division. He was 5’ 10¼' tall, of fresh complexion with hazel eyes and brown hair. Stationed at home in England from September 30th 1914 until January 6th 1916. He was posted to France January 7th 1916 leaving camp at Sutton Veny, Warminster by train for Southampton. Few men had anyone to see them off as they were all far from home. Not long after, in May 1916, his third child was born, a daughter Margarita.

Upon their arrival in France they were moved several times. Until January 18th 1916 'A', 'B' and 'C' companies were billeted near the Forest of Nieppe where they were deployed in road making, levelling and draining camps, loading barges and making fascines and hurdles. On February 9th 1916, 'A' and 'C' companies marched via Vieux Berquin to Armentieres. 'C' Company was billeted in a farm on the Rue des Acquis but, in order not to advertise their arrival, the last part of the journey was made in sections as the Germans held the high ground on Aubers Ridge and could see all that they did. They were moved to the front and started work on the trenches and laying tram lines. On April 8th 1916 they were relieved by the Pioneers of the 1st Australian Division and the next day marched off for a months, “rest,” to Boisdinghem. They soon realised that in B.E.F. language, “rest,” was hard training, after which they were moved to Albert. The 34th Division was to occupy the trenches around Albert in preparation for the attack July 1st and employed its time repairing trenches, laying tram lines and tunnelling in shifts towards the enemy lines. When it was discovered that there were expert miners amongst them the gunners pestered the C.O. to loan small parties to build observation posts. On June 23rd 1916, 'C' Company moved up into the front line at La Boisselle, which was already a mass of rubble, and ordered to hold the front line opposite the village, which they did until July 1st 1916 at a great cost. On July 1st, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, the 34th Division had 80% of its force depleted. Ernest was one of 101 casualties sustained July 1st-5th by his regiment. He received a gun shot wound to the left shoulder and his record states he was also suffering from shell shock. The latter had been crossed through as it was not a medical condition readily recognised during WW1, those who complained of it were considered, “shirkers”.

Taken to the 34th Division Casualty Clearing Station and then by Ambulance train, he returned to England aboard HMHS Maheno, previously of the Union Steam Ship Company, July 4th 1916. Requisitioned by the government in 1915 as a hospital ship for service during WW1, manned by the existing civilian officers and crew, the doctors, and other ranks were from the New Zealand Medical Corp and nurses from the New Zealand Nursing Service.

Once sufficiently recovered November 18th 1916 he was transferred to the 3rd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, at Fenham Barracks, Newcastle upon Tyne, however, having undergone medical examinations at intervals to ascertain his physical health, April 1st 1917, he was permanently excluded from further medical examination and transferred to Class W Reserve. Men in this class were deemed to be more valuable to the country in civil rather than military employment. He was discharged December 19th 1917 under King’s Regulations 392 (xvi) being no longer fit for war service.

Private 18/628 Ernest Beckwith was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

I visited the area of La Boisselle on July 1st 2014, exactly 98 years to the day since the battle there. At the entrance to the village is a memorial bench. The main street is called Rue de la 34th Division in honour of Ernest’s regiment. In the surrounding fields can be found the memorial to the 34th Division which bears the emblem of the Northumberland Fusiliers and an inscription which reads, “To the glory of God and in memory of the heroic dead this monument was erected to commemorate the illustrious deeds of the 34th Division near this spot on July 1st 1916 the first battle in which the division was engaged.”

After his discharge he did return to work at Heworth Colliery and also received a small army pension. His two girls received help from the Salvation Army to buy school books and clothing. On September 6th 1920 his wife gave birth to a son, David; unfortunately history repeated itself and David died December 8th 1922, suffering from broncho pneumonia. He, too, is buried at St Mary’s, Heworth.

On April 10th 1925 Ernest sailed from the port of London aboard the “Baradine”, bound for Sydney, Australia, in search of better prospects and one year later he was joined by his wife and two children who sailed aboard the ”Largs Bay”. My grandmother’s youngest brother, James, also left with them, advised to do so by his doctor as he was already showing signs of breathing problems due to his work underground at the colliery. It was thought the Australian climate would be beneficial to him. Elizabeth Ann, his wife, died in Balmain, Sydney, July 12th 1955 and was buried at Rockwood Cemetery, Methodist Section 1, July 13th. Ernest passed away at Villawood Nursing Home, Fairfield, Sydney, February 8th 1975. He too is buried in the same plot with his wife.

Cicely and Margarita both went to university and qualified as teachers. Cecily married Aroha Theo Burden at The Manse, Campbell Street, Balmain in 1939. They had two girls, one of whom still lives in Sydney, the other in the U.S.A. The Burden line can be traced back to Aroha’s great great grandfather, Thomas Burden from Wilcot, Wiltshire who was sentenced January 6th 1846 to 15 years in the penal colony for stealing a lamb.

Margarita married Eric Charles Edge from Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales and had two children, a boy and a girl. Their son lives in Sydney and their daughter in Rosselle, Queensland, both are married with children. Eric’s family can be traced back through his mother and father’s line to one man, his great great grandfather William Douglas, born 1768 in Scotland. He was brought to Australia to serve a sentence of seven years and his wife’s sister Susannah married Richard Lionel Rose, son of Thomas Rose and Mary Ann Topps. The Rose family were one of the first six families of free settlers to go to Australia in 1793, having entered into a contract with the British Government to teach the convicts how to grow crops to feed themselves and the garrison. Rose Cottage, their original home in Wilberforce N.S.W, is, today, the centre piece of an open-air museum in Rose Road, Wilberforce N.S.W and was occupied until 1961.

In Fond Remembrance. Rest In Peace.

Ernest Beckwith is remembered at Felling on F32.22 and F32.23