Alec Beat
he was a farm worker prior to his enlistment,
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
The birth certificate of James Beet Hudson shows he was born on 17 Feb 1865, at North Clifton, his single mother being Jane Beet Hudson. What happened after this is unknown until 1871 when, as a seven year old he was living as a lodger with James and Fanny Knowles in Dunham with the name James Hudson.
Ten years later, he is recorded living in the same household, with the Knowles, as a sixteen year old lodger, named Jim Beet.
In 1887 James married Harriet Griffiths and continued lodging with the Knowles . The years went by, and by 1911 they had had 15 children of which 3 had died, all born in Dunham. Out of the family, two of the sons of James and Harriet were of prime age to enter the war. These were Alec Griffiths Beat born 1896 and Ronald Griffiths Beat born 1898, the both of them working as farm boys in 1911.
Private Alex Beat enlisted at Retford, he served with the 12th battalion Sherwood Foresters Regiment, he went to France 24th September 1915 and was killed in action, 26th June 1916, aged 19, when a German shell hit his dugout, near Locrehoff Farm, Belgium.
Buried Dranoutre Military Cemetery, Belgium. Plot 2. Row D. Grave 3.
Pte Alec Beat Retford Times 14 July 1916
As announced in our columns last week Pte Alec Beat of the Sherwood Foresters, son of Mr and Mrs James Beat of Dunham on Trent, was killed in action in France on June 26. The brave lad was only 19 years of age. He joined the Army in the autumn of 1914 and was attached to the Pioneer Company of the Sherwood Foresters. He was in farm service before entering the Army for some time with Mr J Storrs of Morton and afterwards with Mr Stockdale of Askham. The gallant youth had been in France for ten months and had seen a lot of fighting. His mother received a letter from him three days before the sad news of his death arrived saying he had got leave and was coming home. The Corporal of Alec’s Platoon, in writing to Mrs Beat to inform her of her son’s death, states that he was killed by a shell exploding in the dugout. Three other men were killed at the same time. The, Corporal goes on to say:- “I can assure you that you have the full sympathy of myself and all his comrades. Since joining Alec has always worked under me and when off duty has been my constant companion and I am heartbroken to be the sender of such terrible news. Alec was a good soldier and a good worker and a reliable a better chum no man ever had. We take consolation from the fact that his death instantaneous and was not attended by terrible sufferings we see so many out here. He died like the hero he was, a smile on his face. He was buried behind the firing line.” Mr and Mrs Beat with whom the great sympathy is felt in their sad bereavement have two other sons serving in France, Signaller Geo. Beat, who volunteered shortly after the outbreak of war and Lance Corpl James Beat, who was in India when war was declared – and a son in law, Pte Heald who volunteered on June 21 1915 and has been in Salonika eight months.
He is Buried in Dranoutre Military Cemetery grave reference 2.D.3
CWG additional information:- Son of James and Harriet Beat of Dunham-on-Trent, Newark, Notts. His brother Ronald Griffiths also fell.
Research by Colin Dannatt
His brother Ronald Beat was attested for short service on the 19 May 1916 at Retford, age 18 when he was placed on reserve. On 16th February 1918, a claim was lodged before East Retford Rural Tribunal in respect of Ronald Griffiths Beat of Dunham on Trent, to decide whether exemption be granted, (from military service ?). The pending result of this appeal is not recorded but he was mobilised on 23rd May 1918 and sent to France shortly after with the Sherwood Foresters. He was killed in action – missing - presumed killed between 8th and 10th October 1918 and buried in the Vaux-Andigny-British Cemetery, France, the month before the armistice.
Alec Beat
This photo was first published in the Retford Times following the death of Alec Beat.