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Auction: 19001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 420

A Great War Palestine operations M.M. awarded to Private W. A. Beesley, 1/5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, who was decorated for his gallant part in the raid on 'Umbrella Hill' on 20 July 1917

Alongside Sergeant Taylor, Private Beesley was decorated in the Field on 23 July 1917. The two raids were so significant that an inverted umbrella was adopted as the divisional sign for the 54th (East Anglian) Division from July 1917

Having then survived the challenges of the Third Battle of Gaza, Beesley was killed in action in December 1917

Military Medal, G.V.R. (201122 Pte. W. A. Beesley, 1/5 Bedf. R.-T.F.), nearly extremely fine

M.M. London Gazette 18 October 1917.

William Arthur Beesley, a native of Watford, Hertfordshire, first saw action in France, which theatre of operations he entered on 27 April 1915. Subsequently embarked for Egypt, he won his M.M. for the attack on Umbrella Hill on 20 July 1917 and would have seen further action in the Third Battle of Gaza, prior to his death in action on 22 December 1917. Aged 23, he was the son of Edward and Lydia Beesley of 79 Princes Avenue, Watford, and is buried in Ramleh War Cemetery.


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Sold for
£320