W. N. T. Beckett
Encyclopedia
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
Walter Napier Thomason Beckett, MVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, DSC
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
, RN
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
(1893 – 1941) was a noted Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer in both World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was known to most people as “Joe” Beckett, after a famous British boxer of the same era, as they shared the same surname. Beckett was also a capable amateur boxer, holding the title of Royal Navy Heavyweight boxing champion for some time.
In 'Fabulous Admirals and some naval fragments' published in 1957, Beckett is described as "an Elizabethan character, who was rough, tough, large and strong, and his words smelt of tar, spunyarn, sound commonsense and humour.” The author, Commander Geoffrey Lowis RN, included a chapter on Beckett, who he thought a great character. Much of this article is drawn from that book.
Early life
Beckett was born in BilaspurBilaspur, Chhattisgarh
Bilaspur is a city in Bilaspur District in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, situated 111 km north of state capital, Raipur. It is the second-largest city in the state. It is the administrative headquarter of Bilaspur district...
in the Central Provinces
Central Provinces
The Central Provinces was a province of British India. It comprised British conquests from the Mughals and Marathas in central India, and covered parts of present-day Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra states. Its capital was Nagpur....
of 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...
on March 25, 1893. He was the younger son of Brigadier-General William Thomas Clifford Beckett CBE
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
, DSO
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...
, VD
Volunteer Decoration
The Volunteer Officers' Decoration was created by Royal Warrant under command of Queen Victoria on 25 July 1892 to reward 'efficient and capable' officers of the Volunteer Force who had served for twenty years...
(1862–1956) and Bessie Drummond Thomason, daughter of Major-General Charles Simeon Thomason (1833–1911) of the Bengal Royal Engineers
Bengal Engineer Group
The Bengal Engineer Group or the Bengal Sappers or Bengal Engineers as they are informally known, are remnants of British Indian Army's Bengal Army of the Bengal Presidency in British India; now a regiment of the Corps of Engineers in the Indian Army. The Bengal Sappers have their regimental...
. His older brother Clifford became Major-General Clifford Thomason Beckett
Clifford Thomason Beckett
Major-General Clifford Thomason Beckett CB, CBE, MC of the Royal Artillery, had a distinguished military career including being Acting General Officer Commanding Malta in 1942.-Early life:...
CB, CBE
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(1891–1972) of the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
, who had a distinguished military career including being Acting General Officer Commanding Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
in 1942.
Prior to his military career Beckett’s father William had been a senior 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...
, working on behalf of the Indian
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
government. At the time of W.N.T. Beckett’s birth, his father was in charge of constructing the first railway
History of rail transport in India
The history of rail transport in India began in the mid-nineteenth century. In 1849, there was not a single kilometer of railway line in India. By 1929, there were 41,000 miles of railway line serving every district in the country...
bridges over the Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
rivers on the East Coast Extension of the Bengal – Nagpur Railway
South Eastern Railway (India)
The South Eastern Railway is one of the sixteen railway zones in India. It is headquartered at Garden Reach, Kolkata. It comprises four divisions:# Adra Railway Division# Chakradharpur Railway Division# Kharagpur Railway Division...
, completing the connection between the cities of Calcutta
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
and Madras
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
. In 1901, he was awarded the Gold Medal from the Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
for a paper he presented on his completed project.
The family returned to Great Britain for the boys education, and lived near Grantown-on-Spey
Grantown-on-Spey
Grantown-on-Spey is a town in the Highland Council Area in Scotland.It was founded in 1765 as a planned settlement on a low plateau at Freuchie beside the river Spey at the northern edge of the Cairngorm mountains, about 20 miles South East of Inverness .It is the main town in what was the...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, where Beckett loved wandering the hills and glens of Speyside.
Beckett boarded at Park House School in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and in 1906 he entered the Royal Naval College, Osborne, where he excelled at sports and became friends with fellow cadet HRH Prince Edward, the future King Edward VIII. Beckett won innumerable cups and medals for boxing, bayonet fighting, sabres and foils at the Naval Colleges, and later in the fleet and at the Royal Naval and Military Tournament.
The HRH Prince Edward and Beckett both joined the battleship HMS Hindustan
HMS Hindustan (1903)
HMS Hindustan was a King Edward VII class pre-dreadnought battleship of the Royal Navy . Like all ships of the class she was named after an important part of the British Empire, namely the Indian Empire.-Technical characteristics:...
as Midshipmen in 1911, and served on her for some time.
After two years as a midshipman Beckett was promoted to Acting Sub-Lieutenant and he was also playing fullback in the Navy Rugger
Rugger
Rugger may mean:*A slang word for rugby football, or for one who plays rugby football*List of Star Wars creatures#Ruggers, a species of animal in the Star Wars fictional scenario*A person who makes rugs, or a tool used when making rugs...
team.
Harwich Force
Beckett served as Sub-LieutenantSub-Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
in the destroyer HMS Legion
HMS Legion
Two destroyers of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Legion, after the Roman legion.* The first Legion was launched in 1914 and sold in 1921.* The second Legion was launched in 1939 and sunk in an air attack off Malta in 1942....
, of Commodore
Commodore (Royal Navy)
Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt
Reginald Tyrwhitt
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Reginald Yorke Tyrwhitt, 1st Baronet, GCB, DSO was a senior officer of the Royal Navy in World War I who commanded light forces stationed at Harwich on the east coast of England during the first part of the war.-Naval career:Tyrwhitt entered the Navy as a cadet in July, 1885...
's Harwich Force
Harwich Force
The Harwich Force was a squadron of the Royal Navy, formed during the First World War, that went on to play a significant role in the war.-History:...
, and took part in the Battle of Heligoland Bight and the Battle of Dogger Bank
Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)
The Battle of Dogger Bank was a naval battle fought near the Dogger Bank in the North Sea on 24 January 1915, during the First World War, between squadrons of the British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet....
. It was about this time he brought out a pamphlet, subsequently published by the Admiralty, ‘Questions in Dutch and German for Boarding Officers’. When HMS Amphion
HMS Amphion (1911)
HMS Amphion was an Active-class scout cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built at Pembroke Dockyard and launched on 4 December 1911. She became the first ship of the Royal Navy to be sunk in the First World War...
, the first Royal Naval ship to be sunk during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, was going down, Beckett was aboard searching for survivors, and became the hero of a tale often told. Amphion blew up and Beckett found himself sailing through the air amongst a cloud of bric-a-brac, and amongst it was the wardroom clock, of which Beckett observed the time as he tumbled through the air and into the sea.
During his time on Legion, Beckett developed a reputation as an excellent seaman, and a practitioner of fine nautical skills and knot-work. These skills and his attention to detail became legendary in the Service, and many shoddy jobs were discarded with the words, “That would never do for Joe Beckett”.
While Beckett was serving with the Harwich Force, he was befriended by the renowned English author Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
, and was invited to his home Bateman's
Bateman's
Bateman's is a 17th-century house located in Burwash, East Sussex, England. British author Rudyard Kipling lived in Bateman's from 1902 to his death in 1936. His wife left the house to the National Trust on her death in 1939, and it has since been opened to the public.- Exterior :Bateman's is a...
, in East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
. Kipling was very interested in the Royal Navy, and used Beckett as a source of information for his 1916 naval classic, "Sea Warfare". In one of Kipling's letters, he colourfully describes his meeting with Lieutenant Beckett, and states "he held us breathless or weak with laughter". Beckett also enjoyed their meeting, and went on the visit Bateman's again. He found they had various common interests, including a connection to India, where both men had been born.
Coastal Motor Boats (DSC)
From April 1916 until the end of World War I, Beckett was employed in Coastal Motor Boats (CMB’s), with a group of bright young officers known as the ‘Suicide Club’.In May 1916, Beckett took command of the newly built HM Coastal Motor Boat 4, designed by Sir John Thornycroft. CMB No. 4 was one of a series of small, shallow draft vessels used during World War I. She had a 275 hp Thornycroft V-12 Petrol engine capable of 24.8 kn (30.2 mph; 48.6 km/h). She carried a single 18 inches (457 mm) torpedo in a trough abaft the cockpit (from which it was launched tail-first over the stern by a cordite-powered ram) and four .303 Lewis machine guns and carried a crew of 3.
While in command of CMB No. 4, Beckett carried out duties of CMB Flotilla Signal Officer, and he trained personnel and conducted smoke trials and experiments.
In August 1916, he took command of 3rd Division CMB Flotilla. In December 1916, he proceeded to Dunkirk in charge of the 3rd CMB Division, and operated on the Belgian coast. He organised a temporary base and established liaison with French naval authorities and with the air force. Beckett was in command of a Divisional CMB attack on German destroyers at Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge is a village on the coast of Belgium and a subdivision of Bruges, for which it is the modern port. Zeebrugge serves as both the international port of Bruges-Zeebrugge and a seafront resort with hotels, cafés, a marina and a beach.-Location:...
on April 7, 1917, as a result one was sunk and one very seriously damaged. For these actions Beckett was Mentioned in Despatches and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
(DSC).
In May 1917, Beckett was appointed in command of CMB No. 14, the first of a larger-type CMB carrying four depth-charges in addition to a torpedo: these boats were 55 feet (17 m) long, opposed to the forty-foot original type. In July 1917, Beckett was ordered to Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, to form an anti-submarine CMB base there, and command the Portsmouth CMB Flotilla on anti-submarine and convoy duties. He stayed at that post until September 1918, when he was transferred to CMB Base Osea Island
Osea Island
Osea Island is an inhabited island in the estuary of the River Blackwater, Essex, East England. It is approximately in size and is connected to the north bank of the river by a causeway, covered at high water....
, where he was in charge of half 2nd CMB flotilla. During this time he wrote the CMB Signal Table for the Admiralty. He continued in that position until after Armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
occurred on 11 November 1918.
North Russia and the Dwina River
From May to November 1919, Beckett volunteered for "Special Service" on a dangerous secret mission in North Russia using CMBs. The BolsheviksThe Bolsheviks
The Bolsheviks were a professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation from late 1987 until the spring of 1990.The team was composed of Nikolai Volkoff and Boris Zhukov portraying a pair of Russian Communist bad guys. Volkoff was born Josip Peruzovic on October 14, 1947. Although...
were attacking the White Russians
White movement
The White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought...
and Beckett was sent as Second-in-Command of CMB Flotilla – Dwina River
Northern Dvina
The Northern Dvina is a river in Northern Russia flowing through the Vologda Oblast and Arkhangelsk Oblast into the Dvina Bay of the White Sea. Along with the Pechora River to the east, it drains most of Northwest Russia into the Arctic Ocean...
Force, under Commander-in-Chief Admiral Sir John Green
John Green (Royal Navy officer)
John Green CB became Chaplain of the Fleet; Director General, Naval Chaplaincy Service and Archdeacon for the Royal Navy in March 2006.He was born on 14 August 1953 and educated at North East London Polytechnic. From 1974 to 1980 he was a Project Engineer with Thorn Lighting Ltd...
, with whom he began a long friendship. Beckett was in command of CMB No. 28A. During this time he worked with the military (on land), as a Lewis Gun
Lewis Gun
The Lewis Gun is a World War I–era light machine gun of American design that was perfected and widely used by the British Empire. It was first used in combat in World War I, and continued in service with a number of armed forces through to the end of the Korean War...
Officer, and on mine clearance duties on the river. He was left in charge to destroy material at their up-river base at Troitsa, and to cover the retirement of military forces.
Between the wars
Following the Russian action Beckett returned to Osea IslandOsea Island
Osea Island is an inhabited island in the estuary of the River Blackwater, Essex, East England. It is approximately in size and is connected to the north bank of the river by a causeway, covered at high water....
, but was soon made First Lieutenant of HMS Cockchafer
HMS Cockchafer (1915)
HMS Cockchafer was a Royal Navy Insect class gunboat. She was built by Barclay Curle and launched on 17 December 1915 as the 5th Royal Navy ship to carry this name...
, in which he proceeded to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to serve on the Yangtse River Patrol. In June 1921, Beckett was back in England and in charge of the HM Fishery Gunboat Boyne, on North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
Fishery duties and minesweeping. During this time he salvaged SS Edith and towed her to Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, but his salvage claim was disallowed.
November 1921, he was appointed to the battleship HMS Ramillies
HMS Ramillies (07)
HMS Ramillies was a Revenge-class battleship of the Royal Navy, named after the Battle of Ramillies. The ship is notable for having served in both the First and Second World Wars...
, and became Executive Officer. During this time Beckett published ‘The boatswain's call: how it is used, and some facts about it’, which was later incorporated into the Official Seamanship Manual. Beckett was made Lieutenant-Commander while serving aboard Ramillies.
Mediterranean service
September 1924, Beckett was appointed in command of the destroyer HMS VendettaHMAS Vendetta (D69)
HMAS Vendetta was a V class destroyer that served in the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy...
, in the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, under Commander-in-Chief Admiral Sir Roger Keyes. In October 1924, HMS Vendetta proceeded to the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
and Beckett acted as Senior Naval Officer (SNO) at Jeddah
Jeddah
Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
during operations between Ibn Saud
Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia
King Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia was the first monarch of the Third Saudi State known as Saudi Arabia. He was commonly referred to as Ibn Saud....
and Emir Ali, to safeguard British interests and property. Beckett was then ordered to Port Sudan
Port Sudan
Port Sudan is the capital of Red Sea State, Sudan; it has 489,725 residents . Located on the Red Sea, it is the Republic of Sudan's main port city.-History:...
, to take charge as SNO and to arrange the evacuation of the Egyptian Army from Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
, after the assassination of Sir Lee Oliver Stack
Lee Stack
Sir Lee Oliver Fitzmaurice Stack was a British army officer and Governor-General of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. On 19 November 1924, he was shot and assassinated while driving through Cairo....
, the British Governor-General of Sudan and Egyptian army commander.
Royal service
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
to recuperate after a period of serious illness. The King was joined by Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
, Prince George, Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of George V and Mary of Teck, and younger brother of Edward VIII and George VI...
, Princess Victoria
Princess Victoria Alexandra of the United Kingdom
-Titles and styles:*6 July 1868 – 22 January 1901: Her Royal Highness Princess Victoria of Wales*22 January 1901 – 3 December 1935: Her Royal Highness The Princess Victoria-Honours:*Imperial Order of the Crown of India, 6 August 1887...
and their party. During the cruise Beckett had the opportunity to spend time with the Royal family, and upon the completion of their cruise, King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
presented Beckett with a Member of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(MVO) for the services he had given during their most enjoyable cruise. See accompanying photo taken by Princess Victoria, of Beckett with King George V aboard HMS Vendetta during the cruise.
On April 14, 1927, he was appointed in command of HMS Velox
HMS Velox (D34)
HMS Velox was a 'V' class destroyer built in 1918. She served in the last year of the First World War and was engaged in the Second Ostend Raid. During the interwar period she underwent a refit and continued serving during the Second World War as a long range convoy escort in the battle of the...
in the Atlantic Fleet.
During this period Beckett began to court Gladys Hemery Lindon, an heiress of an old Welsh family, the Edwardes of Rhyd-y-gors
Rhyd-y-gors
The name Rhyd-y-gors or Rhydygors has been associated with two historic sites near the market town of Carmarthen in Southwest Wales. The first was the Norman Rhyd-y-gors Castle and the other was Rhyd-y-gors Mansion, home of the Edwardes family....
. In 1928 they wed, and were deeply in love. He always referred to her as his ‘Snowdrop’. They settled at her home, St Regulus, near Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, and soon after Beckett was made a Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
. On February 21, 1935 their daughter Rosemary Caroline Rowan Beckett was born.
Scuttling of HMY Britannia
In 1936, Beckett was selected by the Commander-in-Chief, PortsmouthCommander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Portsmouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the post.-History:...
, Admiral Sir John Kelly GCVO, KCB for an unusual task. Beckett had served under Sir John Kelly in the past, and the two were on very good terms. After the death of King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, King Edward VIII asked Sir John Kelly to organise the scuttling of HMY Britannia
HMY Britannia (Royal Cutter Yacht)
His Majesty's Yacht Britannia was a gaff-rigged cutter built in 1893 for Commodore Albert Edward, Prince of Wales. She served him and his son, King George V, a long racing career.-Racing career:...
, as it was King George V’s dying wish. Kelly felt there was no better man for the job than Beckett, who had been made a Captain by this stage, and was in command of the destroyer HMS Winchester
HMS Winchester
Seven ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Winchester, after the English city of Winchester:*HMS Winchester was a 60-gun fourth rate launched in 1693. She foundered in 1695.*HMS Winchester was a 48-gun fourth rate launched in 1698...
. On 10 July 1936, the Winchester towed the stripped hull of the Royal Yacht out past the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
to St Catherine’s Deep, and in the presence of Sir Philip Hunloke
Philip Hunloke
Philip Hunloke né Perceval was a British sailor who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.He was a crew member of the British boat Sorais, which won the bronze medal in the 8 metre class....
, who had so often sailed Britannia for the King during her racing career, Britannia was scuttled by Captain Beckett.
World War II
Prior to the announcement of the Second World War, Beckett had spent time honing his skills with the Senior Officers Technical Course and Senior Officers War Course.In January, 1939, Beckett was appointed Captain of Dockyard, Deputy Superintendent and King's Harbour Master of HMNB Devonport
HMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
(HMS Drake).
This was an unusual job for a junior Captain, but one to which Beckett was well fitted. War was on the horizon and a strong man was needed to tighten things up.
Beckett was a seadog, and was not happy to be serving on land. When the opportunity of the Captaincy of the York Class Heavy Cruiser HMS Exeter
HMS Exeter (68)
HMS Exeter was a York class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy that served in World War II. She was laid down on 1 August 1928 at the Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth, Devon. She was launched on 18 July 1929 and completed on 27 July 1931...
became available, Beckett jumped at the opportunity. She was receiving an extensive refit at Devonport Dockyard following her participation in the Battle of the River Plate
Battle of the River Plate
The Battle of the River Plate was the first naval battle in the Second World War. The German pocket battleship had been commerce raiding since the start of the war in September 1939...
. Beckett was made Captain of the Exeter during her refit and supervised the whole process.
Death
During this time Beckett’s health began to fail, partially due to the incredible workload placed on his broad shoulders with the running of the dockyard in preparation for war, and the refitting of the Exeter, but also due to injuries he had sustained earlier in his career.During his time on the Dwina River in North Russia, he had been exposed to poison gas, that had caused damage to his chest and lungs, and while in CMB’s he had received shrapnel in his left knee. These wounds, particularly his chest, finally took their toll on him and he was sent to have chest X-rays. After a month of ill-health, through which he persevered at the dockyard, Beckett left on Friday, 7 March 1941, for the last time.
On the night of Saturday the 8 March, he had great pain in his chest and stomach. On the morning of Sunday the 9 March, two doctors saw him at home and he was taken to Saltash Hospital for an exploratory operation. He had the operation at 3.00 pm. His beloved wife Gladys saw him at 7pm and stayed with him. At 10pm he lost consciousness, and he finally died at 3.00 am, on Monday 10 March 1941, with Gladys holding his hand. This was the very day he was due to recommission HMS Exeter
HMS Exeter (68)
HMS Exeter was a York class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy that served in World War II. She was laid down on 1 August 1928 at the Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth, Devon. She was launched on 18 July 1929 and completed on 27 July 1931...
.
Beckett’s wife Gladys Hemery died in 1964, and their daughter Rosemary Caroline Rowan now resides in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and is married with a family (Current at 2011).
External links
- Commemorated on War Memorial (Grantown-on-Spey, Morayshire, Scotland)
- Career of Major General CT Beckett
- Further Information on HMY Britannia (Marquis of Ruvigny & Raineval, London, 1907)
HM Coastal Motor Boat 4, Captained by W.N.T. Beckett in 1916–1917, and used by Beckett during CMB attack on Zeebrugge, April 7, 1917, for which he was awarded DSC and mentioned in Despatches, is on permanent display at the Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
, Duxford
Duxford
Duxford is a village in Cambridgeshire, England, some ten miles south of Cambridge.-History:The village formed on the banks of the River Cam, a little below its emergence from the hills of north Essex...
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Beckett received the thanks of the Admiralty for devices he had designed (e.g. a balloon indicating device for locating fired practice torpedoes [dated 14.08.1924], a device submitted concerning a sprocket wheel for mine moorings [dated 15.11.1926]).
Buried: Havant and Waterloo (Warblington) Cemetery, sec. 2, old ground, grave 105
Beckett's published work includes:
- The boatswain's call: how it is used, and some facts about it, 1922, Gieves Ltd, Portsmouth (Later incorporated in the Official Seamanship Manual [dated 10.03.1927] ).
- A few naval customs, expressions, traditions and superstitions,1930, Gieves Ltd, Portsmouth
- Questions in Dutch and German for Boarding Officers, 1914 (A pamphlet published by the Admiralty);