BEGGS, Jack
| Service Number: | 1889 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 14th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Wilcannia, New South Wales, Australia, 1887 |
| Home Town: | Elmhurst, Pyrenees, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 2 July 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 29 Oct 1915: | Involvement Private, 1889, 29th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '16' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Demosthenes embarkation_ship_number: A64 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Oct 1915: | Embarked Private, 1889, 29th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Demosthenes, Melbourne | |
| 2 Jul 1916: | Involvement Private, 1889, 14th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1889 awm_unit: 14 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-07-02 |
National Archives Update
In October 2020, the Department of Defence advised the National Archives of Australia that due to an administrative error that occurred during World War I, two service records were created for this individual with two different service numbers, DEPOT SERN 459 and SERN 1889. The second record with service number SERN 1889 is the true and complete record of this individuals service, including his war service in France, and his subsequent death in action. The charge of desertion recorded in this record is erroneous and the result of the duplicate service record being raised. Further details regarding this service person are contained within Series Number: B2455, Control Symbol: BEGGS J, Title: Beggs Jack: SERN 1889: POB Wilcannia NSW: POE Brisbane QLD: NOK F Beggs G.
And the correct record has the following:
In October 2020, the Department of Defence advised the National Archives of Australia that due to an administrative error that occurred during World War I, two service records were created for this individual with two different service numbers, DEPOT SERN 459 and SERN 1889. The second record with service number SERN 1889 is the true and complete record of this individuals service, including his war service in France, and his subsequent death in action. Further details regarding this service person are contained within Series Number: B2455, Control Symbol: BEGGS J, Title: Beggs Jack: DEPT SERN 459: POB Wentworth NSW: POE Melbourne VIC: NOK M Beggs Selina.
Submitted 19 April 2021 by peter ward
Service records
Dept of defence has a issued a statement acknowledging that clerical errors were the cause of the problem with regard to desertion and have apologised to the family and a statement will be added to Jack's service records
Submitted 26 June 2020 by peter ward
Wrongly accused
On the 10/02/16 Jack Beggs was wrongly accused of desertion in Australia on the 30/12/1915 , his parents were harassed by both the Police and the Army as to his whereabouts.In fact ,Jack was already in the war zone having left Australia on the 29/12/1915, more than a month before he was wrongly accused of desertion by those whose uniform pants got shinier by the day as they fought the war behind a desk.No apology was received after his death on the battlefield in 02/07/16, and like many others,his body was never recovered but his parents got his wallet, 2 photos and a identity disc and a token scroll and plaque some years later..The Police were still pursuing him in 1917 and , to suit their own purpose,had changed his desertion date to 30/12/1916, he was killed in action 6 months prior to this date.
The Beggs descendants would like an official apology from the govt for this terrible accusation that would have left his parents both worried and confused and possibly vilified by the community
Submitted 2 June 2020 by peter ward
Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Jack Beggs was one of the members of a raiding party of about 90 men of A Company 14th Battalion which forced its way into the German trenches at Armentieres on the night of 2 July 1916. Beggs was listed as a member of the bombing party of the raid.
In all seven men from the Battalion died as a result of the raid, but many of the survivors were wounded to some extent.
Click images to start slideshow.