The emotive family medals to the Beeton Family comprising the Boer War Cape Colony and Orange Free State operations pair awarded to Guide A.J. Beeton, Field Intelligence Department. The Great War pair to Private A.J. Beeton, Brands Free State Rifles. The Great War Delville Wood underage casualty pair awarded to Private E.W. Beeton, 4th Battalion, South African Infantry – South African Scottish who was killed on 18th July 1916, aged just 16 and is now buried in Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueval. Finally, the Great War First Day of the Battle of Arras casualty pair awarded to Private G.F. Beeton, 4th Battalion, South African Infantry – South African Scottish who was killed in action on 9th April 1917 – the First Day of the Battle of Arras, and who is now buried in Highland Cemetery, Roclincourt.
A Boer War Cape Colony and Orange Free State operations pair awarded to Guide A.J. Beeton, Field Intelligence Department who saw service in South Africa during the Boer War and would take part in the operations in Cape Colony and Orange Free State.
Pair: Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902, 2 Clasps: Cape Colony, Orange Free State; (GUIDE A.J. BEETON. F.I.D.) King’s South Africa Medal 1901-1902, 2 Clasps: South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902; (GUIDE A.J. BEETON. F.I.D.)
Condition: Good Very Fine
Arthur John Beeton saw service in South Africa during the Boer War and would be present during the operations in Cape Colony and Orange Free State as a Guide with the Field Intelligence Department.
The Field Intelligence Department played a crucial role in bringing the conflict to a close. At the beginning of the conflict, the maps and general knowledge of the vast areas to be fought over were sketchy and the creation of an Intelligence Department became of vital necessity. The Guides and Agents infiltrated the countryside and towns and allowed the Head Quarters to keep subversives and rebels in a closer check than would otherwise have been possible. The F.I.D. was created by Major (later, General Sir) David Henderson who summarised their role thus:
'In November 1900 the strength of the Field Intelligence Department was approximately 30 officers and 250 white subordinates. On 31 May 1902 the strength was 132 white officers and 2,321 white subordinates. Apart from any share which they may have had in the captures made by columns, the Intelligence employees while in search of information, have, in the last six months of the war, killed 88 and captured 550 of the enemy. A very large proportion of surrenders have also directly been due to the influence of Intelligence agents.
Many small expeditions have been organised and sent out from Head Quarters to the outlying parts of the theatre of operations to gain information and interrupt the enemy's communications and sometimes to investigate particular matters which have been reported. There has been no lack of suitable volunteers for these dangerous enterprises, and they have, in most cases, been skilfully carried out, with valuable results. In more than one case, a small party of this kind has exercised considerable influence on the enemy's plans and movements.'
Great War pair awarded to Private A.J. Beeton, Brands Free State Rifles.
Pair: British War Medal and Victory Medal; South African bi-lingual issue; (PTE. A.J. BEETON. BRANDS. F.S. RFLS.)
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine
Private A.J. Beeton saw service during the Great War with Brands Free State Rifles.
Great War Battle of Delville Wood casualty pair awarded to Private E.W. Beeton, 4th Battalion, South Africa Infantry – South African Scottish who serving on the Western Front was killed aged just 16 on 18th July 1916 during the Battle of Delville Wood, and who is now buried in Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueval.
Pair: British War Medal and Victory Medal; South African bi-lingual issue; (PTE. E.W. BEETON. 4TH S.A.I.)
Condition: evidence of Verdigris to Victory Medal, Very Fine
Eric Wilhelm Beeton saw service as a Private (No. 2442) with the 4th Battalion, South African Infantry – South African Scottish on the Western Front during the Great War and was killed on 18th July 1916, aged just 16 years of age. He is now buried in Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueval and is noted as the son of Arthur and Louisa Martha Sophia Beeton of Cala, Cape Province.
The 4th Battalion, South African Infantry - South African Scottish took part in the Battle of Delville Wood as part of the battle of the Somme in 1916. Between 12 and 19 July, the total casualty rate was about 74% of those who went into action. By the end of July, the SA Scottish had suffered 868 casualties
The Battle of Delville Wood (15 July – 3 September 1916) was a series of engagements in the 1916 Battle of the Somme in the First World War, between the armies of the German Empire and the British Empire. Delville Wood (Bois d'Elville), was a thick tangle of trees, chiefly beech and hornbeam (the wood has been replanted with oak and birch by the South African government), with dense hazel thickets, intersected by grassy rides, to the east of Longueval. As part of a general offensive starting on 14 July, which became known as the Battle of Bazentin Ridge (14–17 July), General Douglas Haig, Commander of the British Expeditionary Force, intended to capture the German second position between Delville Wood and Bazentin le Petit.
The attack achieved this objective and was a considerable though costly success. British attacks and German counter-attacks on the wood continued for the next seven weeks, until just before the Battle of Flers–Courcelette (15–17 September), the third British general attack in the Battle of the Somme. The 1st South African Infantry Brigade made its Western Front début as part of the 9th (Scottish) Division and captured Delville Wood on 15 July. The South Africans held the wood until 19 July, at a cost in casualties similar to those of many British brigades on 1 July.
The village and wood formed a salient, which could be fired on by German artillery from three sides. The ground was a rise from Bernafay and Trônes woods, to the middle of the village; the village or the wood could be held without possession of the other. After the Battle of Bazentin Ridge, the British tried to advance on both flanks to straighten the salient at Delville Wood, to reach good jumping off positions for a general attack. The Germans tried to eliminate the salient and to retain the ground, which shielded German positions from view and overlooked British positions. For the rest of July and August, both sides fought for control of the wood and village but struggled to maintain the tempo of operations.
Wet weather reduced visibility and made the movement of troops and supplies much more difficult; ammunition shortages and high casualties reduced both sides to piecemeal attacks and piecemeal defence on narrow fronts, except for a small number of bigger and wider-front attacks. Most attacks were defeated by defensive firepower and the effects of inclement weather, which frequently turned the battlefield into a mud slough. Delville Wood is well preserved with the remains of trenches, a museum and a monument to the South African Brigade at the Delville Wood South African National Memorial.
Great War First Day of the Battle of Arras casualty pair awarded to Private G.F. Beeton, 4th Battalion, South African Infantry – South African Scottish who was killed in action on 9th April 1917 – the first day of the Battle of Arras and is buried in Highland Cemetery, Roclincourt.
Pair: British War Medal and Victory Medal; South African bi-lingual issue; (PTE. G.F. BEETON. 4TH S.A.I.)
Condition: Good Very Fine
Graham Francois Beeton saw service as a Private (No. 2443) with the 4th Battalion, South African Infantry – South African Scottish on the Western Front during the Great War and was killed on 9th April 1917 – the first day of the Battle of Arras aged 18 years of age. He is buried in Highland Cemetery, Roclincourt and is noted as the son of Arthur John and Louisa Martha Sophia Beeton of Cala, Cape Province. He was born at Reddesrburg, Orange Free State.
The Battle of Arras, also known as the Second Battle of Arras, was a British offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British troops attacked German defences near the French city of Arras on the Western Front. The British achieved the longest advance since trench warfare had begun, surpassing the record set by the French Sixth Army on 1 July 1916 in the First day on the Somme. The British advance slowed in the next few days and the German defence recovered. The battle became a costly stalemate for both sides and by the end of the battle, the British Third Army and the First Army had suffered about 160,000 casualties and the German 6th Army about 125,000.
