Frederick E Beckwith

Frederick Ernest Beckwith from Farnborough Hants was a boot repairer before he enlisted in the Royal Amy Medical Corps (RAMC) in August 1941. As an orderly he was posted to 1 Company RAMC.

Pte Beckwith married at Ash Vale Surrey on 4 April 1942 and shortly after volunteered for airborne force, he was posted to 195 Airlanding Field Ambulance RAMC May 1942 and trained as an airborne nursing orderly.

He served in Normandy, the Ardennes, Rhine Crossing and the Advance to the Baltic.

Corporal Beckwith served in Palestine and was demobbed in December 1946.

By Wendy George with information from David Hebberd

1942
195 Airlanding Field Ambulance RAMC (Corporal)

Operations

Event

Advance to the Baltic

The airborne soldiers were well suited to exploit the fluid situation that occurred following the collapse of the Rhine barrier defence. Short fierce actions were fought from the tanks of the 4th Tank Battalion of the Grenadier Guards and whatever transport could be purloined.

Event

Ardennes

After the Allied landings in Normandy and subsequent advance through France and Belgium, the German Army had succeeded in stalling the Allied offensive along their line of defence at the German border - the ‘Siegfried Line’.

Event

Normandy (Operation Overlord)

Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of occupied Europe commonly known as D-Day, saw the 6th Airborne Division for the first time.

Event

Palestine

Arab intransigence over the surge of Jewish immigration that followed the Holocaust in Europe led to the forming of extreme dissident Zionist groups such as IZL (Irgun Zwai Leumi) and the Stern Gang, all seeking to promote their aims through violence.

Event

Rhine Crossing (Operation Varsity)

By late January 1945, the Germans' Ardennes offensive was finally defeated. It had been a costly episode for both sides, but more so for the Germans, who now had to retreat across the Rhine greatly weakened and "in no condition to hold fast even in these positions".

Decorations

Group photos_1

Enlarge Details

1st Reunion in London of 195 Airlanding Field Ambulance, date unknown.

1 Image

Latest Comments

There are currently no comments for this content.

Shopping Cart

Corporal Frederick E Beckwith

14 Jul 1921 - 26 Jun 2002

Service History

Operations

Advance to the Baltic

Ardennes

Normandy (Operation Overlord)

Palestine

Rhine Crossing (Operation Varsity)

Decorations

Group photos_1

Latest Comments

Donate

The Airborne Shop

Corporal Frederick E Beckwith

14 Jul 1921 - 26 Jun 2002

Service History

Operations

Advance to the Baltic

Ardennes

Normandy (Operation Overlord)

Palestine

Rhine Crossing (Operation Varsity)

Decorations

Group photos_1

Latest Comments

Add Comment

In order to add comments you must be registered with ParaData.

Newsletter Signup

Donate

The Airborne Shop