Henry Charles Arthur Beal, Scots Guards

A "Bisley" Medallist, he had enlisted in August 1914 at Liverpool and proceeded to France on 23 November 1914. He was one of 100 replacements received by the battalion at the front on 29 November. The battalion had suffered greatly in the Ypres area and had lost nearly 700 men killed, wounded or missing.

The Ist Battalion, Scots Guards was part of the 1st Guards Brigade, 1st Division. On 25 January 1915 the brigade was defending an area containing many brick stacks, close to Bethune, from a ferocious German attack, known as the 'First Action at Givenchy', and suffered heavy losses. The battalion War Diary records that the German trenches were as close as 25 yards away. The enemy attacked after heavy bombardment and overran the British trenches. Eventually the attack was halted but in doing so the battalion suffered 382 casualties. Private Beal was one of those reported missing. His body was never recovered.

Son of Alice Frances Augusta Beal (nee Atkinson), of 'Llwyn Celyn', Plashyfryd Terrace, Holyhead, Anglesey, and Harry Frederick Beal. Born in 1897 at 16 Holborn Road, Holyhead but resided at some point at Colchester. In 1901 he lived with his mother and two older sisters at 28 Maeshyfryd Road, Holyhead. In the same year his father was residing at Hastings, West Sussex, where he was employed as a Railway Clerk. His father died at Holyhead in 1906 aged 47. His mother died at Holyhead in 1932 aged 70. In 1911 his widowed mother was running a Boarding House at 'Cartref', Maeshyfryd Road, Holyhead. His parents had married at St. Pancras, London in 1887.

Awarded the 1914-15 Star, Victory Medal and British War Medal.

Commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, Panels 3 & 4. He has no known grave. He is remembered on a family grave (now badly damaged) at St. Seiriol's Churchyard, Holyhead.