George De Beger

LEVERSTOCK GREEN WAR MEMORIAL 1914 - 1918

GEORGE MONTAGUE DE BEGER 1885 - 1915

George was born in Paddington, London in the summer of 1885 on 13th August, the son of Alice Mary Pearce and registered with her surname. Alice married George William De Beger in 1888, George first wife had died the previous year. George Montague Pearce would henceforth be a De Beger. Living at 82 Clarendon road aged 6, George was admitted to Oxford Gardens school in Notting Hill on 24th August 1891. Born in London were sisters, Mabel, Florence and brother Albert, with a family’s move to Bushey around 1897 Frederick and Alice are born completing the family. By 1901 aged 15 George is employed as a masons apprentice, living with his family at 77 Villiers Road, Bushey.

In the winter of 1907 George married Mabel Spires in Watford. Children soon followed, daughter Mabel was born on 9th April 1908 followed by Gladys on 18th March 1910, both in Walthamstow. By 1911 the family are living with Mabel’s parents in the area of Bushey Fields in Watford High Street. George and Mabel moved to their own home at 75 School Lane, Bushey and it was here Mabel gave birth to their third daughter, Alice Elizabeth in the first week of April 1913. 

Unfortunately during May of 1914 Mabel tragically died at the young aged of 27, from a perforated Gastric Ulcer, this left George to care for their three small girls, as he was not in a position to look after his children and work he left the girls in Bushey Fields with their grandparents when away working. Mabel's older sister Martha and her husband took in little Alice and formally adopted her after George had died.

In Leverstock Green George met local girl Minnie Woodwards. Minnie lived with her sister in a house know as the "Briars "this had been her childhood and family home with her parents. 

George answered Lord Kitchener's call and enlisted at Watford at the start of the war. Posted to the 9th Battalion Norfolk regiment in training at Shorncliffe camp, near Cheriton and was soon promoted to lance corporal. Due to the mass of volunteers swamping the training establishments in the early days of the war, new soldiers thought to possess abilities received promotion to Lance Corporal, the most junior of ranks, assisting with discipline and organisation.

December 1914 and George received leave and returned to the Green and married Minnie at the village church on Christmas Eve. His brother Albert having enlisted in the East Kent regiment attended and was a witness at the happy event.

George's two eldest daughters, Mabel and Gladys moved from Bushey Fields to live with Minnie at the Briars, both Girls were baptised together on 21st March 1915 in the village church. Gladys found Leverstock Green very dark compared with Watford as their were no street lamps. The house only had oil lamps down stairs with candles upstairs. Water to the house came from a tap piped into an outhouse at the rear of the cottage and baths were taken from water heated in the outhouse and transferred into a tin bath in the living room. The toilet was also in the outhouse.

Mabel Irene De Beger grew up better know as Rene, she never married and died in Adyfield, Hemel Hempstead in 1977, her sister Gladys lived in the Green until 1934, when she married and moved into Hemel Hempstead. Alice married Leslie Carr in Watford in 1934, marrying a second time to a Mr Wilson in 1947.

It was probably around February when George was transferred to the 5th battalion, Northamptonshire regiment, one of the newly formed pioneer battalions, in training at Shorncliffe camp near Folkestone. George would most probable have applied for this transfer as his trade would be just what was required. As the war progressed a need arose for help with the vast demand for labour within the army. This was met by in part by creating in each infantry division a battalion that would be trained and capable of fighting as infantry, but would normally be engaged on labouring work and know as pioneers. These battalions were composed of men who were experienced in various trades some with picks and shovels, others having skilled trades as Ironworkers, carpenters, bricklayers, masons, tinsmiths, engine drivers and fitters. A pioneer battalion would also carry a range of technical stores.

Towards the end of February training of the 12th division had advanced enough for a move to Aldershot to complete its intensive training for the war and take part in field manoeuvres.

With training completed the 12th division received orders to proceed to France. George’s battalion embarked between 29th May and 1st June. Sadly on the 29th the battalion had its first death, Private Charles Debney is accidentally shot before embarkation. George arrived in Boulogne via Folkestone on the 31st May. Moving by train to Arques near St Omer, where the battalion’s second death occurred, private Bedding went missing. His cap was found beside the canal and his body a week later.

3 a.m. on the 5th June the pioneers move by bus to Vlamertinge a small village behind the town of Ypers. Two days later work begins with the digging of trenches behind Ypers. With the first job finished the next involved moving a few miles north to bivouacs outside the village of Elverdinge on the 11th and start work at night as the battalion is within a mile of the front and under German observation well within range of their artillery, this resulted in a daily trickle of casualties. Work carried on until the 30th when a few days well earned rest are taken.

It is a reflection of the lack of movement during the war that two Leverstock Green lads Harry Biswell who died during 1916 and James Hallett died 1917 are both buried within a mile of the ground George was working on.

Although not used as a combat battalion and working at night so out of sight of the Germans, casualties caused by shellfire for June amounted too 2 killed and 22 wounded.

The battalion was now to rejoin the rest of the 12th Division. Beginning their journey during the afternoon of a very hot summer’s day in early July, carrying full kit, the Northampton’s marched south from Elverdinge to the town of Bailleul, this journey taken in the blazing sun lasted 6 hours. Next day travelling west to Ploegsteert, known as Plugstreet by British soldiers.

Commencing work for the division around Ploegsteert wood and the area south of it. This work involved half of one company working days in the wood with the other half working nights. Another company was also split working days and nights south of the wood while the 3rd company was resting.

The type of work done apart from trench digging and placing bard wire was working on dug-outs, machine gun emplacements, flooring trenches and working with the Royal Engineers, sinking wells and building light railways

During the first week of August a move to billets in the town of Armentieres takes place. Here the various companies worked on a number of sites north and south of the river Lys which runs through the town. Two platoons worked on the support line during the day with the other two taking the night shift, while other platoons worked constructing a small tramway located in a trench 8 foot wide and 5 foot deep.

The Germans constantly shelled the British rear areas to disrupt movement, with the result that casualties mounted, 17 soldiers would be killed and many more wounded during the 11 weeks George spent with the battalion in France, before he was very seriously wounded by shellfire on the 17th and taken to the 36th Field Ambulance station, a few thousand yards behind the front line, were he died of his wounds.

These two articles appeared in the Hemel gazette on 16th October 1915.

The month following Georges death his brother Albert was killed in action on 26th September 1915, during the battle of Loos.                                  Minnie’s brother Harry Woodwards is also on the Leverstock Green memorial.

Georges CWGC details

George was 30 years old when he died of wounds and is buried in Cite Bonjean Military cemetery Armentieres France. Plot 1X, Row B, Grave 24. George was remembered on the order of service of the parish church of Leverstock Green at Easter 1919 and on the village memorial as well as the Hemel Hempstead town memorial. George's parents had him recorded on the Bushey and Oxhey Methodist church memorial.

Minnie had the inscription of REST IN PEACE inscribed on Georges head stone, this inscription cost Minnie, 3 shillings and 2 pence.

 www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/27801/cite-bonjean-military-cemetery,-armentieres/

The Field Ambulance was a mobile front line medical unit, manned by troops of the Royal Army Medical Corps. Most Field Ambulances came under command of a Division, the 12th division had 36th, 37th and 38th field ambulance assigned to them and each had special responsibility for the care of casualties of one of the Brigades of the Division. The theoretical capacity of the Field Ambulance was 150 casualties, but in battle many would need to deal with very much greater numbers. The Field Ambulance was responsible for establishing and operating a number of points along the casualty evacuation chain, from the Bearer Relay Posts which were up to 600 yards behind the Regimental Aid Posts in the front line, taking casualties rearwards through an Advanced Dressing Station to the Main Dressing Station. When it was at full strength a Field Ambulance was composed of 10 officers and 224 men. It was divided into three Sections. In turn, those Sections had Stretcher Bearer and Tented subsections. RAMC officers and men did not carry weapons or ammunition. 

Georges two daughters 

pictures from Leverstock Green & Bennetts End by Barbara Chapman

Back in 2003 Georges daughter Gladys, initially asked Dacorum Heritage Trust if they had any information on her father, 

this request eventually made its way to me, and I was happy to help Gladys with information on her father,

 she was surprised that so much information was available. 

  My thanks go to George's daughter Gladys for supplying the photo of George 

                                                                and information on living in Leverstock Green in her early days during the war.

Also to her son in law Keith Johnson for his unstinting help.

From Jane Ryder in Australia came information on Georges third daughter Alice and she wrote;

 Congratulations on such a comprehensive resource for us all ; 

what a wonderful tribute to all these individuals.

I have been involved for some years now, in researching the HOW / HOWE family of Bushey, 

Hertfordshire who are direct ancestors of my husband.  We live in Australia.

This led me to your website which refers to a HOW direct descendant, Miss Mabel Spires 

(the daughter of Albert Henry SPIRES and Elizabeth Spires, formerly HOW) .