Herbert Stanley Beckett

A Private with the 52nd Battalion, Herbert died on 24th of March 1918, and the age of 21.

Herbert was born at Lowestoft in 1897, a son of Richard and Edith Beckett. Herbert's first names were Herbert Stanley but he served in the Australian Army as Stanley Beckett and this is how he is commemorated. 

Herbert was baptised at Saint Margaret's Church on 14 July 1897 and his family lived at 10 Fir Lane , Lowestoft. Although Herbert's parents moved to Chelmsford, living at Parkhill, Highwood, Herbert had many aunts and uncles who remained in the Lowestoft area, hence is in named on Saint Margaret's, Oulton Broad, and Carlton Colville War Memorials. 

We do not know precisely when Herbert went to live in Australia, but by August 1916 he was living in Brisbane and working as a barman.

Herbert enlisted in the Australian Army at Brisbane on 18 August 1916 and joined the 6th Reinforcements of the 52nd Infantry Battalion. He left Australia on 7 October 1916 and arrived at Plymouth on 21 November 1916 before proceeding to France on 28 December 1916. He joined his battalion on 2 January 1917. He was invalided to England, sick, on 19 April 1917 and returned to France on 4 March 1918, joining his battalion on 9 March 1918. He was killed in action.

Herbert's service papers indicate that a memorial cross was erected at Cachy, south-east of Amiens, and infers that he may have been reburied at Adelaide Military Cemetery (62.D.o28.C.9.5) west of Villers-Bretonneux. However, it seems that his grave was lost and he is now commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.