William Beckett (engineer)
Encyclopedia
Brigadier-General William Thomas Clifford Beckett CBE
DSO
VD
(1862 – 4 March 1956) was a British
railway engineer in India
and a British Army
officer.
Beckett was the eldest son of William Henry Beckett, a Colonel
in the Indian Army
. He was educated at Tonbridge School
(1877–1880, as a day-boy) and Crystal Palace Engineering School. In 1887 he was appointed a District Engineer with the Bengal-Nagpur Railway in India. He became an Associate Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers
in 1889 and a Member in 1895.
He was promoted to Superintending Engineer in 1900 and Chief Engineer and Acting General Manager in 1901. He was particularly noted for his bridging of the rivers in Orissa
, for which he was awarded the Stephenson Gold Medal and the Telford Premium
. From 1900 to 1904 he was government representative on both the Calcutta Port Trust and the Calcutta Corporation.
For many years, Beckett was an officer in the Bengal-Nagpur Railway Rifles, reaching the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the battalion. On the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 he joined the British Army and in 1915 was given command of the 1st/12th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, a pioneer battalion
which he commanded for the rest of the war, being awarded the Distinguished Service Order
(DSO) in 1918.
In 1919 he was given command of the British Military Railway Mission in Siberia
and Manchuria
during the Russian Civil War
and was later given the rank of Brigadier-General. He was mentioned in dispatches
four times and appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Siberian War Honours of January 1920. From 1921 to 1923, when he retired, he was British member of the Inter-Allied Technical Board for the Trans-Siberian Railway
at Harbin
. He was awarded the Chinese Order of Chia Ho
and the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun
.
In December 1889 William Beckett married Bessie Drummond Thomason, 4th daughter of Major-General C. S. Thomason and granddaughter of James Thomason
, Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Provinces from 1843 to 1853. Major-General Clifford Thomason Beckett
and Captain W. N. T. Beckett
RN were his sons.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
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 – 4 March 1956) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
railway engineer in India
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...
and 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.
Beckett was the eldest son of William Henry Beckett, a Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in the Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
. He was educated at Tonbridge School
Tonbridge School
Tonbridge School is a British boys' independent school for both boarding and day pupils in Tonbridge, Kent, founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judd . It is a member of the Eton Group, and has close links with the Worshipful Company of Skinners, one of the oldest London livery companies...
(1877–1880, as a day-boy) and Crystal Palace Engineering School. In 1887 he was appointed a District Engineer with the Bengal-Nagpur Railway in India. He became an Associate Member of 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...
in 1889 and a Member in 1895.
He was promoted to Superintending Engineer in 1900 and Chief Engineer and Acting General Manager in 1901. He was particularly noted for his bridging of the rivers in 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...
, for which he was awarded the Stephenson Gold Medal and the Telford Premium
Telford Medal
The Telford Medal is the highest prize awarded by the British Institution of Civil Engineers for a paper, or series of papers, in the field of engineering. It was introduced in 1835 following a bequest made by Thomas Telford, the ICE's first president....
. From 1900 to 1904 he was government representative on both the Calcutta Port Trust and the Calcutta Corporation.
For many years, Beckett was an officer in the Bengal-Nagpur Railway Rifles, reaching the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the battalion. On the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 he joined the British Army and in 1915 was given command of the 1st/12th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, a pioneer battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
which he commanded for the rest of the war, being 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) in 1918.
In 1919 he was given command of the British Military Railway Mission in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
and Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
during the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
and was later given the rank of Brigadier-General. He was mentioned in dispatches
Mentioned in Dispatches
A soldier Mentioned in Despatches is one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the soldier's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.In a number of countries, a soldier's name must be mentioned in...
four times and appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Siberian War Honours of January 1920. From 1921 to 1923, when he retired, he was British member of the Inter-Allied Technical Board for the Trans-Siberian Railway
Trans-Siberian Railway
The Trans-Siberian Railway is a network of railways connecting Moscow with the Russian Far East and the Sea of Japan. It is the longest railway in the world...
at Harbin
Harbin
Harbin ; Manchu language: , Harbin; Russian: Харби́н Kharbin ), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River...
. He was awarded the Chinese Order of Chia Ho
Order of the Precious Brilliant Golden Grain
The Order of the Precious Brilliant Golden Grain , more simply the Order of the Golden Grain, was an award of Nationalist China.-External links:* *...
and the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
.
In December 1889 William Beckett married Bessie Drummond Thomason, 4th daughter of Major-General C. S. Thomason and granddaughter of James Thomason
James Thomason (British colonial governor)
James Thomason was a British colonial governor...
, Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Provinces from 1843 to 1853. 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:...
and Captain W. N. T. Beckett
W. N. T. Beckett
Captain Walter Napier Thomason Beckett, MVO, DSC, RN was a noted Royal Navy officer in both World War I and World War II. He was known to most people as “Joe” Beckett, after a famous British boxer of the same era, as they shared the same surname...
RN were his sons.