Ernest Frederick Beal VC (27 January 1883 – 22 March 1918) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

and Commonwealth forces. Beal was born to John J. W. and Jane Stillman Beal, who resided at 55, East St., Brighton.Beal, Ernest Frederick
Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Military

Beal was 35 years old, and a temporary second lieutenant in 13th Battalion,

The Yorkshire Regiment (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own) The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment), frequently known as the Yorkshire Regiment until the 1920s, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, in the King's Division. Raised in 1688, it served under variou ...

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 21/22 March 1918 at St-Léger,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

Commemoration

Beal is commemorated on the

Arras Memorial The Arras Memorial is a World War I memorial in France, located in the Faubourg d'Amiens British Cemetery, in the western part of the town of Arras. The memorial commemorates 35,942 soldiers of the forces of the United Kingdom, South Africa and ...

. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Green Howards Museum, Richmond,

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...

, England. Two Brighton & Hove buses have been named after him.Brighton & Hove Buses
/ref> Additionally, he is named on the panels commemorating the fallen from the First World War in the hall of Brighton, Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College, for alumni of the preceding institution, Brighton, Hove and Sussex Grammar School. A gold locket containing Beale's portrait and decorated with a Victoria Cross emblem was shown by his great-nephew, in an episode of ''

Antiques Roadshow ''Antiques Roadshow'' is a British television programme broadcast by the BBC in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom (and occasionally in other countries) to appraise antiques brought in by local people ( ...

'' in December 2021.

References

Monuments to Courage David Charles Harvey (29 July 1946 – 4 March 2004) was a historian and author. He is notable for his seminal work, ''Monuments To Courage'', which documents the graves of almost all recipients of the Victoria Cross, a task that took him over 3 ...

(David Harvey, 1999) *

The Register of the Victoria Cross ''The Register of the Victoria Cross'' is a reference work that provides brief information on every Victoria Cross awarded until the publication date. Each entry provides a summary of the deed, along with a photograph of the recipient and the fo ...

(This England, 1997) *

VCs of the First World War - Spring Offensive 1918 ''VCs of the First World War'' is a series of books that list the Victoria Cross recipients of the First World War. The series consists of 13 books written by four different authors, first published under the label Sutton Publishing Limited, part ...

(Gerald Gliddon, 1997)

External links

Bus naming
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beal, Ernest Frederick 1880s births 1918 deaths Green Howards officers British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross British military personnel killed in World War I British Army personnel of World War I People from Brighton British Yeomanry soldiers Royal Sussex Regiment soldiers British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross Military personnel from Sussex