Photo: Pamela Edmondson

Photo: Pamela Edmondson

Pamela Edmondson has submitted the following:-

Horace Carl Beken (known as Carl) was born 11th February 1885 at Winterbourne Earls near Salisbury, Wiltshire. He was the second son of Moses and Mary Jane (nee Folkes) Beken, their first son Fritz was born six years previously. Moses was an engineer and commission agent and Mary Jane was the head of a private school in Winterbourne Earls. Carl attended Bishop Wordsworth School in Salisbury and from 1906 studied at the Institution of Electrical Engineers in Newcastle-upon-Tyne during which time he met his future wife Gertie Bradley at Roker where she lived.

In 1911 he travelled to Winnipeg, Canada to work at the Grand Trunk Pacific railyards. While there he joined the Winnipeg Rifles Militia, entering rifle firing competitions. He was a fine shot. When war broke out he volunteered and by 23rd September he was with the 8th Battalion (90th Winnipeg Rifles) "A" Company at Valcartier near Quebec.

The company arrived in England in October 1914 on the SS Franconia and began training at Salisbury Plain. This was very near his childhood home and he and Gertie were married there on 28th November. In January 1915 he had leave and went to Sunderland to see Gertie before deployment to France from Bristol in February.

The regiment travelled on to the St. Julien area in Belgium and joined the 1st Canadian Division, 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade fighting in the Second Battle of Ypres. Carl was seen to be overcome by gas on the morning of the 24th April 1915. It is believed his body was buried by the Germans as the family have his name tag.

Gertie returned to live with her mother at Park Row, Roker, Sunderland after the wedding, and it was in Sunderland in September 1915 that she gave birth to Horace Hall Folkes Beken, a son who never met his father. Gertie remained in Sunderland until her death on 29th May 1939.

Pamela Edmondson is the grand-daughter of Carl Beken, and we thank the family for adding his story to the NEWMP website.

Horace Beken is remembered in Roker on R50.02, at Sunderland on S140.048 part 9, page 200, and on a war memorials at St Michael & All Angels Church, Winterbourne Earls, Wiltshire, and Bishop Wordsworth School, and in Salisbury Cathedral’s Book of Remembrance .

In Canada he is remembered on their Virtual War Memorial and in their Book of Remembrance, the Manitoba Next of Kin Memorial, Winnipeg, a war memorial in Memorial Circle Park, Winnipeg and an honour roll of Transcona Legion.

Canadian Book of Remembrance
Canadian Virtual Memorial
The CWGC entry for Sergeant Beken