Frederick Charles Henry Walter Beach

This story and photos are shared by the Trust with kind permission from Mavis Williams, Researcher.

I have tried to put Frederick's story together, but only had his wife's name, so I hope I am right, although it took a lot of searching as records have his name written in different ways.

On the CWGC Citation, the only clue to his family is the name of his wife, Minnie Beach. Frederick Charles Henry Walter Beach was born on the 6th of January 1918, according to the 1939 National Register, taken on the 29th of September 1939. On this register, Frederick Charles Henry Walter Beach is written as Beach, Henry W.F.C. and was living at 71 St James' Road, Croydon with his wife, Minnie, and son. He was working as a Builder’s Labourer. He was also a member of the A.R.P.

Minnie Beach (née Benwell) married Frederick Beach in the September quarter of 1936. The strange thing is that Minnie’s husband, Frederick C.H.W. Beach and her parents change their Christian names around, sometimes finding them with their first Christian name and then one of the other names first on another document, but I do believe that Minnie’s parents were Charles Alfred & Elizabeth Ellen Benwell (née Richardson), who had married on the September quarter of 1912 in Croydon.

And I believe that Frederick Charles Henry Walter Beach was the son of Esther Beach (née Hebbourn), who had married James Rutley Beach in the Parish Church of Worplesdon, Surrey on the 8th of April 1907. James Beach worked as a gardener who lived in Christchurch.

I must go back now to tell Frederick’s story as I believe that he was on the 1921 census, which was taken on the 19th of June 1921, living with his widowed mother, Esther Beach, at 25, Mitcham Road, Croydon, Surrey, with 8 people in the household, including her three children, Eva Lucy M. Beach, age 6; Fred C. H. Beach, age 3; and Victor Edward Beach, age 1.

The 1939 Register reveals that he and Minnie had a child, Edward J.F.C.  Beach, born on the 17 November 1937. Sadly, I have no information on Frederick Beach, neither his early, teen years or married years and I do not know exactly when Frederick Beach was to enlist or was conscripted but he was to find himself fighting on D-Day and laid down his life for our freedom.

He was serving with the 1st Battalion, Hampshire Regiment which landed on Gold Beach on D-Day. They were tasked to capture Le Hamel and Asnelles-sur-Mer but they faced stiff resistance from the defenders. The narrowness of the beach and presence of mines added to the difficulty of the job. Casualties were heavy but they captured the villages of Le Hamel and Asnelles-sur-Mer before moving on to capture the German strong point at Arromanches.

The British Army Casualty List tells us that he was killed in action and buried in Asnelles-sur-Mer then on the 14th of November 1944 he was reburied at the Bayeux British Cemetery where he now lies.

After Frederick’s death in 1944, Minnie Beach was to marry again to Arthur W. Sampson in the September quarter of 1948. Minnie Sampson, died in the March quarter of 1982 and her son, Edward, by Frederick Beach was to die in the March quarter of 2002.

British Normandy Memorial - Additional Information

Unfortunately, we do not have a photo of Frederick Beach. If you are aware of one, or you are related to Frederick, we would love to hear from you so we can add to his story.