Cpl
William Charles Beaven
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 18/01/1894 |
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Place of birth: Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Labourer |
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Religion: Church of England |
Army information
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Country: Canada |
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Force: Canadian Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Corporal |
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Service number: 172007 |
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Enlistment date: 16/07/1915 |
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Enlistment place: Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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Units: — Canadian Mounted Rifles, 4th Bn. (Last known unit) — Canadian Infantry, 2nd Bn. (Eastern Ontario) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 26/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Wolf Copse, Passchendaele, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 23 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XXX Row: E Grave: 15 |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
William Charles Beaven, a former labourer, was born on January 28th, 1894, in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, as the son of Michle and Alice Beaven. On July 16th, 1915, he enlisted in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and served as a Corporal in the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion, part of the 8th Canadian Brigade of the 3rd Canadian Division.
On October 26th, 1917, the 3rd Canadian Division took part in the Second Battle of Passendale. With the 8th Canadian Brigade positioned in front of Wolf Copse, they attacked eastwards toward Vanity House and Vine Cottage, with the 9th Canadian Brigade on their right. The 8th Brigade launched its attack with the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion. They started off roughly due to an uneven artillery barrage, which caused immediate casualties. Under heavy rifle and machine gun fire, the battalion managed to fully capture Wolf Copse and advanced as far as Woodland Copse. Because of the intense enemy fire they were forced to fall back at 11 a.m. and consolidate on the high ground between Wallemolen and the Bornstraat-Wieltjesstraat junction, where they remained for the day. They dug a trench, recovered, and buried the bodies. Although they continued to come under fire, they succeeded in clearing the ground.
William, aged 23, was killed in action that day and was one of those interred in that area. Corporal William Charles Beaven is buried at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Plot XXX, Row E, Grave 15.
On October 26th, 1917, the 3rd Canadian Division took part in the Second Battle of Passendale. With the 8th Canadian Brigade positioned in front of Wolf Copse, they attacked eastwards toward Vanity House and Vine Cottage, with the 9th Canadian Brigade on their right. The 8th Brigade launched its attack with the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion. They started off roughly due to an uneven artillery barrage, which caused immediate casualties. Under heavy rifle and machine gun fire, the battalion managed to fully capture Wolf Copse and advanced as far as Woodland Copse. Because of the intense enemy fire they were forced to fall back at 11 a.m. and consolidate on the high ground between Wallemolen and the Bornstraat-Wieltjesstraat junction, where they remained for the day. They dug a trench, recovered, and buried the bodies. Although they continued to come under fire, they succeeded in clearing the ground.
William, aged 23, was killed in action that day and was one of those interred in that area. Corporal William Charles Beaven is buried at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Plot XXX, Row E, Grave 15.
Sources 5
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4th Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles. (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG9-III-D-3, 4947, T-10756, 467). https://library-archives.canada.ca Sources used |
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8th Canadian Infantry Brigade. (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG9-III-D-3, 4896, T-10690, 289). https://library-archives.canada.ca Sources used |
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Circumstances of Death Registers, First World War (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG150, 1992-93/314, 145-238). https://library-archives.canada.ca Sources used |
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Commonwealth War Graves Registers, First World War (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG150, 1992-93/314, 39-144). https://library-archives.canada.ca Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 2018), 145-147. Sources used |
More information 4
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The Canadian Virtual War Memorial https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/461891 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=dfd834f6-8494-4cd9-9b20-2ed8361368f5 |
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/461891 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/5567053 |