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1889 - 24/10/1918

Place of birth: Stockport, Cheshire
Last known address in Bromley: 73 Hayes Road

Military information

Regiment/Service: Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment
Battalion/Ship: 5th Bn
Rank: Captain
Number: Unknown

Family information

Parents: Lewis & Betsy Jane Beeston (nee Downing)
Parents' occupation: Assistant clerk to justices
Siblings: Maud Ada Downing, Leslie Lovell
Wife: Beatrice May Slattery
Marriage date: 01-01-1916

Census information

1891
Address: Old Woodhouse, Whitchurch, Salop
1901
Address: 43 College Road
1911
Address: Peatswood, Hayes Road
Occupation: Assurance clerk

Extra details

Born in Stockport, Harold was the eldest of Lewis and Betsy Jane Beeston's three children. By 1900, when his brother was born, the family were living in Bromley. He attended St Dunstan's College where he was prominent in school games, later founding a strong junior football club, Hayesford. He was assistant secretary to his father in the management of Bromley Town Football Club. He was also a keen tennis player of the Bromley LawnTennis Club, of which he was Honorary Secretary. After leaving St Dunstan's he was employed by the Prudential Assurance Company.

Harold married Beatrice May Slattery on 1st January 1916, they had no children.

Harold enlisted in the London Rifle Brigade in August, 1914. By January 1915 he was in France. In May his school friend John Prebble was killed and the same shell buried Harold alive. He was dug out, but buried again by another shell. His injuries and shock necessitated two months in hospital. Once he had recovered he returned to England, in August 1915, to obtain his commission in the Royal West Kents and got his own company about a year later. He returned to France in August, 1917, saw service in Italy, and returned once again to France when the last German offensive began. Later while in France he had an attack of trench fever and was sent home to hospital. On his return to duty he was attached to the depot at Tunbridge Wells. He spent some months training the cadets at the Queen Elizabeth School, Cranbrook and it was while there he had a recurrence of trench fever. This made him more susceptible to influenza, septic-pneumonia set in and he passed away. His wife and mother were with him.