G. A. Beazeley
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-Colonel George Adam Beazeley DSO
(7 July 1870 – 8 May 1961) was a British Army
officer, surveyor
and one of the fathers of aerial photography
in surveying, military reconnaissance
and archaeology
. He was probably the first person to identify aerial archaeology
as an independent field.
Beazeley was the son of a civil engineer
. He was educated at Chigwell Grammar School and Cherbourg School, Malvern
, before training at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and being commissioned Second Lieutenant
in the Royal Engineers
in February 1890. He attended the School of Military Engineering
from 1890 to 1892 and the spent two years with the submarine mining unit in Cork Harbour
, Ireland
. He was promoted Lieutenant
in February 1893. In 1894 he was posted to India
, where he spent most of the rest of his career.
He continued to work in submarine mining until 1897, when he changed his speciality to surveying and joined the Survey of India
, where he stayed until his retirement in 1925. He was promoted Captain in December 1900 and Major
in January 1910. He was attached as survey officer to the Somaliland Field Force in 1903–1904, when he was mentioned in despatches.
In October 1916 he was posted to Mesopotamia, where he was in charge of all field survey work on the Tigris
front until April 1917, initially assisted by only three British soldiers and about sixteen native porters and orderlies. He also flew many reconnaissance missions and carried out considerable archaeological investigations, both from the air and on the ground. He identified the remains of ancient Samarra
and discovered the outlines of ancient canals on the Tigris-Euphrates plain. He was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in December 1917 and awarded the Distinguished Service Order
(DSO) for his services on 1 January 1918. On 2 May 1918 he was shot down and captured by the Turks, remaining a prisoner of war
until 16 November, just after the end of the war.
In 1919 and from 1921 to 1922 he was attached to the Royal Air Force
. He retired from the Army in July 1925, but in 1929 joined the Sudan Air Survey for a year. He and his wife Annette (whom he had married in 1900) retired to Saint Aubin, Jersey
, but from 1938 he worked in air raid precautions
. He left the Channel Islands for England in 1940, just before the German occupation, and continued to work in ARP until 1942, when he took up office work in Totnes
, also in connection with the war. He returned to Jersey after the liberation in July 1945 and spent his retirement living in the Grouville
Hall Hotel after Annette died in 1950.
On 4 November 1938, his daughter Rozel, her husband, Captain William Swan, also of the Royal Engineers, and their baby daughter were killed in the crash of the airliner St Catherine's Bay
at Jersey Airport
.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(7 July 1870 – 8 May 1961) was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer, surveyor
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
and one of the fathers of aerial photography
Aerial photography
Aerial photography is the taking of photographs of the ground from an elevated position. The term usually refers to images in which the camera is not supported by a ground-based structure. Cameras may be hand held or mounted, and photographs may be taken by a photographer, triggered remotely or...
in surveying, military reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance that is conducted using unmanned aerial vehicles or reconnaissance aircraft. Their roles are to collect imagery intelligence, signals intelligence and measurement and signature intelligence...
and archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
. He was probably the first person to identify aerial archaeology
Aerial archaeology
Aerial archaeology is the study of archaeological remains by examining them from altitude.The advantages of gaining a good aerial view of the ground had been long appreciated by archaeologists as a high viewpoint permits a better appreciation of fine details and their relationships within the wider...
as an independent field.
Beazeley was the son of a civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
. He was educated at Chigwell Grammar School and Cherbourg School, Malvern
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
, before training at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and being commissioned Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
in February 1890. He attended the School of Military Engineering
School of Military Engineering
School of Military Engineering may refer to a training institution for military engineering such as:*Royal School of Military Engineering of the British Army*College of Military Engineering, Pune of the Indian Army...
from 1890 to 1892 and the spent two years with the submarine mining unit in Cork Harbour
Cork Harbour
Cork Harbour is a natural harbour and river estuary at the mouth of the River Lee in County Cork, Ireland. It is one of several which lay claim to the title of "second largest natural harbour in the world by navigational area" . Other contenders include Halifax Harbour in Canada, and Poole Harbour...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He was promoted Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in February 1893. In 1894 he was posted to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where he spent most of the rest of his career.
He continued to work in submarine mining until 1897, when he changed his speciality to surveying and joined the Survey of India
Survey of India
The Survey of India is India's central engineering agency in charge of mapping and surveying. Set up in 1767 to help consolidate the territories of the British East India Company, it is one of the oldest Engineering Departments of the Government of India...
, where he stayed until his retirement in 1925. He was promoted Captain in December 1900 and Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in January 1910. He was attached as survey officer to the Somaliland Field Force in 1903–1904, when he was mentioned in despatches.
In October 1916 he was posted to Mesopotamia, where he was in charge of all field survey work on the Tigris
Tigris
The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
front until April 1917, initially assisted by only three British soldiers and about sixteen native porters and orderlies. He also flew many reconnaissance missions and carried out considerable archaeological investigations, both from the air and on the ground. He identified the remains of ancient Samarra
Samarra
Sāmarrā is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Salah ad-Din Governorate, north of Baghdad and, in 2003, had an estimated population of 348,700....
and discovered the outlines of ancient canals on the Tigris-Euphrates plain. He was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in December 1917 and awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(DSO) for his services on 1 January 1918. On 2 May 1918 he was shot down and captured by the Turks, remaining a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
until 16 November, just after the end of the war.
In 1919 and from 1921 to 1922 he was attached to the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. He retired from the Army in July 1925, but in 1929 joined the Sudan Air Survey for a year. He and his wife Annette (whom he had married in 1900) retired to Saint Aubin, Jersey
Saint Aubin, Jersey
Saint Aubin is a port in the Channel Island of Jersey. It opens out to a bay of the Gulf of Saint-Malo.Originally a fishing village at the opposite end of Saint Aubin's Bay from the town of Saint Helier, Saint Aubin is now the hub of the parish of St. Brelade. Its name refers to Saint Aubin of...
, but from 1938 he worked in air raid precautions
Air Raid Precautions
Air Raid Precautions was an organisation in the United Kingdom set up as an aid in the prelude to the Second World War dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air-raids. It was created in 1924 as a response to the fears about the growing threat from the development of bomber...
. He left the Channel Islands for England in 1940, just before the German occupation, and continued to work in ARP until 1942, when he took up office work in Totnes
Totnes
Totnes is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
, also in connection with the war. He returned to Jersey after the liberation in July 1945 and spent his retirement living in the Grouville
Grouville
-Vingtaines:Grouville is divided for administrative purposes into vingtaines as follows:*La Vingtaine des Marais*La Vingtaine de la Rue*La Vingtaine de Longueville*La Vingtaine de la RocqueThe Minquiers are part of the parish of Grouville....
Hall Hotel after Annette died in 1950.
On 4 November 1938, his daughter Rozel, her husband, Captain William Swan, also of the Royal Engineers, and their baby daughter were killed in the crash of the airliner St Catherine's Bay
1938 Jersey Airport disaster
The 1938 Jersey Airport disaster occurred at 10:50am on Friday 4 November 1938 when the Jersey Airways de Havilland D.H.86 airliner St Catherine's Bay crashed in the parish of Saint Brélade, 500 yards east of Jersey Airport, killing the pilot and all twelve passengers on board as well as farm hand...
at Jersey Airport
Jersey Airport
-Busiest routes:Some airlines offer services between Jersey and other destinations with an intermediate stop at Guernsey. There are also periodic charter flights to European holiday destinations, Madeira and ski destinations operated by airlines such as Aurigny Air Services, Europe Airpost, Palmair...
.