BEASLEY, William Robert Clive
| Service Number: | 593 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 20 August 1914, Sydney, NSW |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Orange, New South Wales, Australia, 1894 |
| Home Town: | Orange, Orange Municipality, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | East Orange Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Gallipoli, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 2 May 1915 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, East Orange Public School Memorial Avenue, East Orange Public School Roll of Honor, Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing, Millthorpe Shadforth Public School Great War Roll of Honour, Orange "Fallen of Orange" Memorial Banners, Orange Cenotaph, Orange Holy Trinity Anglican Church Honour Board, Orange WW1 Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 593, 2nd (SA) Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC), Sydney, NSW | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Oct 1914: | Involvement Private, 593, 2nd Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Suffolk embarkation_ship_number: A23 public_note: '' | |
| 18 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 593, 2nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suffolk, Sydney |
Help us honour William Robert Clive Beasley's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Carol Foster
Son of Edwin Ernest Beasley and Letitia Catherine Beasley of Park Street, Orange, NSW
Private Beasley was the son of Mr. and Mrs. E. Beasley, of East Orange, and a native of the town. The fatal wound was received on May 2, 1915, a week previous to his 21st birthday.
Biography contributed by Bradley Bliss
William Robert Clive Beasley was born in Lucknow in 1894 to Edwin Ernest Beasley and his wife Letitia Catherine Beasley. He was the second son and one of seven children born to the couple. William’s uncle was William Edwin Agland, who would become mayor of East Orange in 1910.
William was one of the first men to enlist in WWI, doing so in Sydney on 20 August 1914, barely a week after voluntary recruitment commenced. He embarked from Sydney in October 1914 and proceeded to Mena training camp in Egypt. Private Beasley joined the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force at Alexandria 5 April 1915 and was part of the first contingent of troops to land at Gallipoli on 25 April.
William’s battalion advanced about 2km inland to a position near Courtney’s Post. When roll call was held on Thursday 29 April Beasley was not present and no one had seen him. A court of enquiry held on 24 March 1916 found that Private Beasley had been killed in action near Courtney’s Post, Gallipoli, on 2 May 1915, just one week before his 21st birthday.
Private Beasley has no known grave; he is commemorated on Panel 17 of the Lone Pine Memorial at Gallipoli in Turkey with others who have no known grave.
William is also commemorated on his parent’s grave in Orange Cemetery. His name appears on a plaque in Newman Park in Orange commemorating former Orange East Public School students who were killed in action. He is also commemorated on the honour rolls of Orange East Public School, Shadforth Public School and Holy Trinity Church Orange.
In July 1917 a tree was planted at Orange Public School in William’s memory. It was one of 26 trees planted in honour of fallen soldiers who had attended the school.
In 1923 the Anzac Memorial Avenue of trees was planted along Bathurst Road to commemorate fallen WWI soldiers. A tree was planted in honour of “Pte WRC Beasley”; it was donated by the Orange East Public School.
William’s brother, Clifton Ernest Havelock Beasley, also served in WWI; he returned to Australia in July 1919. A cousin, William Edwin Wells, was killed in action on 4 October 1917.
Click images to start slideshow.