William Beesley was born in Gresley, a sub district of Burton on Trent on 5th October 1895. He went to school at Ansley village school near Nuneaton and later moved to Galley Common. He worked in the mines, at Haunchwood and Tunnel Collieries.
Beesley enlisted at Nuneaton Police Station and at first his application was rejected but he queued up a second time and gave his age as twenty instead of nineteen, as it actually was. His first action in the war was with the 9th King’s Royal Rifle Corps on the infamous Menin Road, near Helfire Corner, Ypres sector in June 1915. It was the start of 3 years in and out of the trenches. In July he was wounded in the shoulder by a piece of shrapnel while counter attacking the Germans again at Hooge where terrified British soldiers, totally unaware and unprepared, faced a totally new weapon.
German troops launched an attack on the British line 03.15 on 30th July with portable Flammenwerfer. The effect of this horrific attack proved terrifying to the British defenders, although their line, initially pushed back, was stabilised later the same night.
In two days of severe fighting the 7th and 8th Battalions of the Kings Royal Rifle Corps lost 31 officers and 751 other ranks, however, the wound did not prevent him bringing out a wounded comrade.
In November he was wounded a second time, this time in the legs when he was taking some of the first supplies of Mills Bombs up to the St. Julian Road. After a time in hospital in Blighty he was back on the Western Front in time for the Somme offensive of 1916. By this time he was in a machine gun section with the 13th Rifle Brigade.
He was promoted to Corporal on 28th June 1918, the same day as his VC appeared in the London Gazette. In France after he won his VC but before he received it from the King, Beesley was pulled out of the trenches and was on one occasion invited to tea with his Commanding Officer; on another he lunched with the Divisional General who gave him a box of chocolates. His colleagues in the ranks also clubbed together and gave him gifts. He served with Sergeant Gregg, also of the 13th Rifle Brigade, and won the VC on the same day. They were presented with the award at the chateau at Frohen le Grand on 9th August at the same ceremony, along with the Reverend Theodore Hardy. After he won his VC Beesley returned to Nuneaton on leave and during this time was presented with £700 in War Bonds by the local townspeople. He was also given the Freedom of the Borough on the same day as Cecil Knox, who had won his VC on 22nd March 1918. Beesley was, therefore, Nuneaton’s second VC of the war.
William Beesley was initiated into the Order in the Ye Olde Wharf Lodge, Gresley, Staffs.
If you wish to read the full story please click on this link No 34 Victory Cross Winners Vol 1