Harold Reeve Beechey

Harold was born on the 22nd March 1891 at Friesthorpe Rectory, Lincoln. 

He was killed in Action on the10th April 1917, aged 26 years.  He was a Lance Corporal (number 200) in the 48th Battalion, Australian Infantry, A.I.F.  There is no known grave and Harold is commemorated on Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Somme, France.

Harold was a pupil at De Aston School, Market Rasen and emigrated to Western Australia aged 22. Harold enlisted in the Australian Infantry on 9th September 1914 in Perth, travelling first to Egypt and then to Gallipoli before going on to France. He survived Pozières but was sent to England to recover from his wounds. He wrote home:

Very lucky, nice round shrapnel through arm and chest, but did not penetrate ribs. Feel I could take it out myself with a knife.

Harold was patched up and sent back to fight again. He wrote bitterly to his mum:

To deny a fellow the right of a final leave seems to me to be miserable spitefulness on their part.

He came home to recover but was sent back to France in November 1916, being killed by a bomb in Bullecourt on 10th April 1917, aged 26 years.

His mother Amy wrote:

 I am thankful that he did not suffer long. Poor boy, he had been invalided twice and wounded once and we hoped he would come through.