Captain Charles Murray BEAZLEY
3rd Battalion East Lancashire Regiment, attached to the 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade

Date of birth: 22nd July 1890
Date of death: 27th April 1965

Survived aged 74
Buried at Stanmer Churchyard, East Sussex
Charles Murray Beazley was born at "Kenilworth", Bycullah Park, Enfield in Middlesex on the 22nd of July 1890 the younger son of George Arthur Beazley, a stockbroker, and Agnes Matilda (nee King) Beazley later of "Orwell", Walton-on-the Hill in Surrey.

He was educated at Hazelwood School until July 1904 where he was a member of the Choir. On leaving the school the magazine wrote the following of him: - " ...goes to Wellington. He is a most accomplished dancer, artist and actor, and a useful member of the choir."

He went on to Wellington College where he was in Mr. Brougham’s House from September 1904 to 1908 where he was a member of the Choir and served as a Private in the Cadet Corps. He went on to Trinity College Cambridge in October 1909 where he stroked for the College boat in the Thames Challenge Cup at Henley in 1910 and in 1911. On leaving university he worked for a stockbroker.

Following the outbreak of war he applied for a commission on the 8th of August 1914. At a medical examination, which was held at Cambridge on the 7th of August, it was recorded that he was six feet one and a half inches tall and that he weighed 145lbs. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the East Lancashire Regiment on the 15th of August 1914 and was posted to Plymouth where he served from the 14th of October 1914 to the 16th of February 1915. On the 17th of February 1915 he transferred to the Rifle Brigade and joined the 6th (Reserve) Battalion of the regiment at Sheerness until the 27th of April 1915.

He embarked for France on the 2nd of June 1915 where he was attached to the 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade, joining them in the field on the 5th of June along with one other officer and thirty eight other ranks. He was appointed as battalion Machine Gun Officer. He was wounded by a bullet in an attack at Bois Grenier on the 25th of September 1915, sustaining a severe flesh wound to the shoulder. He was evacuated to England from Calais on the 27th of September 1915 and landed at Dover later the same day. He was later reported as being on “light duty” with the 6th (Reserve) Battalion at Sheerness.

He returned to France where he was attached to the 10th Battalion of his regiment. On the 16th of September 1916 the battalion was ordered to move to trenches to the north east of Ginchy with relief being completed at 5.25am the following morning. During the day of the 17th of September the shelling "was as heavy as any experienced by the Battalion". An attack was carried out on the German front trench at 6.30pm but this was unsuccessful. Casualties during the day were one officer missing with two wounded and eleven other ranks killed with seventy nine wounded and seven missing. Charles Beazley was badly concussed during the day and was evacuated to England from Le Havre on the 20th of September 1916, landing at Portsmouth the following day. He was promoted to Captain on the 6th of September 1917.

He was demobilised at No. 1 Dispersal Unit, Purfleet on the 25th of January 1919.

He worked as an archaeologist and a draughtsman. He was married to Lady Elizabeth Jocelyn (nee Pelham), daughter of the Earl of Chichester, on the 27th of October 1948 and they lived at Quarry Hill, Reigate in Surrey but had no children.

He died suddenly at home after a long struggle against a crippling disability.
Went on to Wellington College

Back