Name
Philip Beckley
1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
28/09/1916
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
7538
London Regiment *1
1st/22nd (County of London) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ETAPLES MILITARY CEMETERY
XI. C. 8.
France
Headstone Inscription
IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY BELOVED HUSBAND UNTIL THE DAY BREAKS
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, Marlowes Baptist Church, Marlowes, St John the Evangelist Church Memorial, Boxmoor
Pre War
Philip Beckley was born in 1894 in Bromley, Kent, son of Henry and Emma Beckley, the youngest of six children.
In 1901 the family were living at 17 Essex Street, Whitstable, where his father was working as a Railway Signalman , with the London, Chatham & Dover Railway. Although still in Whitstable, they had moved to 1 Norfolk Street in 1911 and Philip was working as a Hair Dresser. (His mother was not listed with them).
The family later moved to Hemel Hempstead, where his parents had relatives and Philip joined his uncle in his hairdressing business at 72 Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead. He then met Lily Wiseman and they were married at Marlowes Baptist Church on 19 January 1916, just before he was due to enlist. According to the report in the local newspaper they received numerous wedding presents, including a toilet set from the employees in the Hand Gumming Room, Apsley Mills, where Lily worked. Philip's best man was his friend William Barnes, who also served in the war and was killed 7 months after Philip.
Lily gave her address on pension records as 3 Victoria Terrace, Hemel Hempstead.
Wartime Service
He was called up for service (conscripted) and enlisted at Hemel Hempstead in January 1916, being initially posted to the 12th Battalion, London Regiment under service no. 6213, later transferring to the 22nd Battalion.
After six months of basic training he was sent to France and arrived at le Havre on 6 July 1916, followed by additional training in France during August and September.
On 15 September Philip was involved in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette and took part in the attack and capture of High Wood. There were heavy casualties and he was one of the wounded, being evacuated to the St John's Ambulance Hospital in Etaples, France. Sadly he died of his wounds on 28 September 1916, aged 22 and is buried at Etaples Military Cemetery, France.
Additional Information
His widow, Mrs L Beckley, 3 Victoria Terrace, Albion Hill, Hemel Hempstead, Herts. ordered his headstone inscription: "IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY BELOVED HUSBAND UNTIL THE DAY BREAKS". She received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £2 7s 1d. She also received a pension of £10 shillings a week which rose to 13s 9d from 4.4.17.
A memorial service was held at Marlowes Baptist Church on 29 October 1916 for Philip Beckley and seven other members of the congregation who had been killed. Brother in law to Leonard Wiseman who was killed in action on the Somme on 26 March 1918 and whose name is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial.
*1 Believed more correctly, (County of London) Bn. London Regiment (The Queens's).
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.dacorumheritage.org.uk, www.hemelatwar.org, www.hemelheroes.com
