William Beck was born on the 11 August 1913, in Old Woodhouse, Whitehaven in Cumbria, the son of Thompson Batty Beck and Elizabeth/Lizzie Beck (nee Todd). He had two siblings his sister Sarah Ann, born in 1915 and brother Joseph born in 1916. The family were all Whitehaven born and bred, the father working as a colliery hewer at Ladysmith Pit in Whitehaven, and living at Ivy Cottages, Old Woodhouse in Whitehaven (1921 Census & 1939 Register).

William ‘Bill’ was a miner, who enlisted into the Regular Army for 7 years Regular service and 5 years in the Reserves on the 9 January 1932, joining The Border Regiment. He was transferred to the Army Reserve on the 17 June 1939, but was mobilized at the outbreak of War.

The 1st Battalion, The Border Regiment formed part of the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.) and went to France on the 5 October 1939, under the command of Lt-Col. R.H. Farrar. It originally formed part of the 4th Infantry Brigade, of the 2nd Infantry Division, but it was exchanged with the 1/8th Battalion, The Lancashire Fusiliers and became part of the 125th Infantry Brigade, of the 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division.

Following the Battle of Belgium and France, it was evacuated from Dunkirk. Upon returning to the United Kingdom, the battalion, now under the command of Lt-Col. R. Bower, was transferred to the mountain warfare trained 31st Independent Infantry Brigade.

In October 1941, the brigade was selected to be converted to glider infantry, part of the British Army's newly-formed Airborne Forces, and became the 1st Airlanding Brigade, part of the 1st Airborne Division.

In 1943 he went to North Africa with the 1st Airborne Division in preparation for airborne operations in the Mediterranean area. In July 1943 he took part in Operation ‘Ladbroke’, which was the glider-borne operation to capture the Ponte Grande Bridge near Syracuse. Heavy casualties were suffered in this action, but ‘Bill’ Beck survived, although he was reported as wounded.

In September 1943 the battalion took part in Operation ‘Slapstick’, which was the naval landing at the Italian port of Taranto. It is likely that ‘Bill’ took part in this operation and the battalion ended up at the town and airfield complex of Foggia approx. 140 miles north of Taranto by the beginning of October 1943. The battalion, along with the main part of the 1^st Airborne Division returned to the United Kingdom in December 1943.

By September 1944 he had been promoted to Lance Corporal, and he flew with his platoon to Arnhem on Monday, 18 September 1944, as part of the 2^nd Lift of Operation ‘Market-Garden’.

By Thursday, 21 September the battalion was holding a position on the western side of a perimeter that the 1^st Airborne Division had set up around the Dutch village of Oosterbeek. ‘D’ Company now came under attack from two armoured vehicles, one of them a tank now approached 19 platoon’s position: ‘This tank now moved down the edge of the wood on the field side of the boundary fence. It was moving slowly towards 22 and 20 Platoon positions, firing short bursts from its machine-gun as it came. A second tank could be heard moving across the front of the position towards a ride in the wood, which came directly into the Company lines in front of 20 Platoon. For a few brief moments there was hectic action. L/Cpl ‘Bill’ Beck ran forward firing a Bren gun from the hip at the tank.’ ^[1]

‘Bill’ received gunshot wounds on the 25 September 1944 and was taken POW. He spent the remainder of the War at Stalag XIB, Fallingbostel, POW No. 118317.

On his return to the UK he was discharged to the Army Reserve Class Z on 22 January 1946.

‘Bill’ was married in late 1942 to Dorothy Powell, and his wife came from Failsworth in Manchester.

‘Bill’ sadly passed away on the 31 May 1983.

NOTES:

[1] ‘When Dragons Flew’, The illustrated History of the 1st Battalion The Border Regiment. Page 155.

Researched and written by Robert Hilton, with the assistance of Stuart Eastwood of the Border Regiment Museum, Carlisle Castle