Story and photograph || George was the third son of my great grandparents, Joshua and Ellen (Farrow) Beckingham, and according to the plaque in Milton Lilbourne church, like his brother, William, served in The Wiltshire Regiment. However, we can see from his uniform that the cap badge is clearly not from the Wiltshires. After some research I was been advised that this is a Devonshire Regiment uniform and therefore George Alfred is the George Beckingham recorded in the Medal Roll Index as George Beckingham and served initially with the Worcestershire Regiment as Pte 13048 and then with the Devonshires as Pte 41769. George was sent to the Asiatic and arrived there on 21st March 1915 and was medically discharged on 1st November 1915. I have been unable to locate any soldier’s papers for George and cannot ascertain which Battalion(s) he may have served in. As a matter of interest, the “Devons” raised 29 different battalions during WWI, each being between 800 and 1000 men strong. 25 of these battalions saw active service with the other four being training or service battalions. George was born on 13th September 1894 in Easton Royal, Wiltshire and married Elizabeth May Sharpe on 26th May 1923 in Winchester. He died in Winchester on 20th April 1963. For his service in WWI, George was awarded the 1914/15 Star, the British and Victory medals, along with the Silver Star. || || George Alfred Beckingham in uniform || Photograph || George Alfred Beckingham

Frederick was the youngest of my great grandparents Joshua and Ellen (Farrow) Beckingham’s four sons. He was born 2nd March 1900 at Milton Lilbourne, and was an agricultural labourer living with his parents at New Mill, Pewsey when he was called up on 17th April 1918. His papers describe him as of fair hair and fresh complexion, with grey eyes and 5 feet and ¾ inch tall. His later discharge papers say that his eyes were hazel. He also grew 1 ¾ inches during his short service as the discharge has him at 5 feet 2 inches! He was posted to the 53rd TS Battalion the Royal Warwickshire Regiment at Larkhill, Wiltshire on 22nd April as Pte 25651. On 27th April he was with the 51st (Grad) Battalion at Wangford. He was admitted to an RAMC Field Hospital on 15th May and immediately transferred to the 1st Eastern General Hospital at Cambridge. It was from here that he was officially discharged from the Army on 16th July 1918 as being medically unfit for service. The Army’s character reference on his discharge stated that Frederick was “steady and willing, and was of a good military character”. The Medal Roll Index does show that he was awarded the Silver War Badge to show that he did serve his country and was medically discharged. He married Margaret Olive Sims at Milton Lilbourne, Wiltshire on 28th April 1926. Frederick later moved to Winchester in Hampshire and died there on 23rd December 1955. || Story and photograph || || Frederick James Beckingham || Photograph || Head and shoulders only - taken post WWI

Photo of 13th Batallion Middlesex Christmas 1918. || William Henry Dibling was a regular soldier - a machine gunner with the 13th Middlesex Regiment. He lost several fingers due to a German attack.