James Robert Beckett
Rank: Private
Service Number: 240464
Date of Birth: 1875
Regiment: 2nd Bn Suffolk Regiment
Date of Death: 30 August 1918
Age at death: 43
Cemetery / Memorial: Ecoust-St. Mein British Cemetery
Country: France
Grave / Reference: Plot 1, row D, grave 36
Relatives: Son of James Beckett
Address: 60 Benton Street, Hadleigh
At 43, James is one of the older Hadleigh men to die during the war. He was born in Hadleigh in 1875. We could not find a record of James on the 1911 census. However, he was incorrectly included on his father’s census record for that year, but the name was struck out. At that time James was aged 32 and married and so we assume he had left home and was living elsewhere.
1911 Census.
James had been a farm labourer working in Hadleigh and at times in Yorkshire. He had on occasions fallen foul of the law and had spent time in prison with hard labour; one for deserting his first wife and child and another for cruelty to a horse.
In 1904 he enlisted with the Royal Garrison Artillery, but within 6 months was discharged having been convicted of a felony. At the beginning of the war he enlisted with the local territorials, opted for home service and was placed with the 2/5th Suffolks.
James married for a second time in July 1915 when he was living in Cambridgeshire, marrying Elizabeth .
The Army Service Act of 1916, changed the rules on ‘home service’ and all territorial soldiers became eligible for overseas service. James was transferred to the 11th Suffolks. His service history is unclear, but by August 1918 he was with the 2nd Suffolks.
Medal Index Card
On 30 August 1918 the 2nd Suffolk were ordered to capture Ecoust-St. Mein, a village 16 kM South East of Arras. They made good ground and captured the objective, but they failed to join up with their neighbouring units and so with their flanks exposed they were forced to withdraw back to the trenches before Ecoust-St. Mein. During the fighting they lost - Other ranks; 13 killed, 117 wounded, 58 missing. It is thought that James was one of those killed.
Following the battle, the troops constructed the Ecoust-St. Mein British Cemetery and James was buried here. The cemetery now contains 151 burials.
