Pte
Fred Beer
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1896 |
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Place of birth: Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 1306 |
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Enlistment place: Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Royal Warwickshire Regiment, 14th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 04/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Polderhoek, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 21 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: LVII Row: E Grave: 32 |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Fred Beer was the son of Elizabeth Mary and Robert John Beer. He was born around 1896 in Birmingham, Warwickshire. He enlisted in the British Army and was part of the 14th Battalion (1st Birmingham) Royal Warwickshire Regiment (13th Brigade, 5th Division).
Fred died on 4 October 1917 during the Battle of Broodseinde, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The starting positions that day were near Tower Hamlet for the B and D companies and near Northampton Farm for the A and C companies. The latter suffered one casualty on the way to the starting positions. The objective was to capture the area around Polderhoek and Château Wood.
At around 5.30 a.m., the Germans opened fire on the front line and supporting lines. The pill boxes near Tower Hamlet were particularly targeted. The objectives of the 13th Brigade were taken by the 2nd Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers and the 1st Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment. The latter regiment suffered casualties from fire from a pill box south of the Meenseweg. The King's Own Scottish Borderers were held up around Polderhoek Château and requested a company from the 14th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment as reinforcement. The C Company was given this assignment and was in position at around 11 a.m. Throughout the day, German shelling continued unabated. The battalion suffered heavy losses: 20 killed, 83 wounded and 2 missing.
Fred died at the age of 21. His body was found near Polderhoek after the war. Fred was reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
Fred died on 4 October 1917 during the Battle of Broodseinde, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The starting positions that day were near Tower Hamlet for the B and D companies and near Northampton Farm for the A and C companies. The latter suffered one casualty on the way to the starting positions. The objective was to capture the area around Polderhoek and Château Wood.
At around 5.30 a.m., the Germans opened fire on the front line and supporting lines. The pill boxes near Tower Hamlet were particularly targeted. The objectives of the 13th Brigade were taken by the 2nd Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers and the 1st Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment. The latter regiment suffered casualties from fire from a pill box south of the Meenseweg. The King's Own Scottish Borderers were held up around Polderhoek Château and requested a company from the 14th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment as reinforcement. The C Company was given this assignment and was in position at around 11 a.m. Throughout the day, German shelling continued unabated. The battalion suffered heavy losses: 20 killed, 83 wounded and 2 missing.
Fred died at the age of 21. His body was found near Polderhoek after the war. Fred was reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
Sources 2
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14 Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment war diary (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/1556/1). http://nationalarchives.gov.uk Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 1995), p. 109. Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/461898 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=fa340895-06d6-4b1d-a604-7c607e1ce2b1 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/276623 |