Noel Douglas Beck

This story is shared by the Trust with kind permission from Mavis Williams, Researcher.

Noel Douglas Beck was born on the 10th of March 1917 and baptised on the 22nd of April 1917 at St. Cuthbert’s Church, York, the son of Alec John & Elsie Beck (née Acklam). Alec was a sailor in the Mercantile Marine living in New Earswick, Yorkshire. Alec Beck & Elsie Beck had married in the Register Office, York in the December quarter of 1914  and her address was 27, Sycamore Ave., New Earswick, York.

Alec Beck had served in the First World War when he was called up for service on the 26th of February 1917 and posted to the I.W.D. or Inland Waterways & Docks. He embarked at Greenock on the 19th of March 1917 and disembarked at Basrah, Iraq on the 15th of October 1917. He was in Mesopotamia from the 16th of October 1917 before returning and being discharged on the 22nd of April 1920.

When Alec Beck returned from the war in 1920, he returned to the same address, 27, Sycamore Avenue, Earswick and the family are seen living there on the 1921 census, which was taken on the 19th of June 1921. Earswick is sometimes referred to as Rowntree Village as it was built by Joseph Rowntree as a model garden village for his employees at his nearby cocoa works.

Alec Beck was employed as a Painter's Labourer for the Joseph Rowntree Village Trust. Their children were Alec Leslie Beck, 6 years and 2 months old; Noel Douglas Beck, aged 4 years and 3 months old; and Esme Mary Beck, aged 3 months, all born in Earswick. They would have one more child, Brian J Beck, born in June 1926 and they had another child living with them in 1939, Walter Bishop, who was born in 1931, but his connection with them is unknown.

Noel Beck was to meet Iris May Roe, and they married in the December quarter of 1938 in York. We see the young couple again on the 1939 National Register, which was taken on the 29th of September 1939. They were living at 21, Harrison Street, York and Noel was working as a Motor Driver (Dairyman). There is one redacted record which is probably for their son, Raymond N. Beck, born in the June quarter of 1939. Another child, Loraine B. Beck was born in the March quarter of 1944.

Sadly, I have no other information on Noel Douglas Beck, neither his early or teen years, but he was to find himself fighting on D-Day and laid down his life for our freedom.

He was serving with 3 Maritime Regiment, Royal Artillery and had been posted to man the guns on MV Derrycunihy, a Defensively Equipped Merchant Ship (DEMS). The MV Derrycunihy sailed from West India Docks, London and joined a convoy off Southend-on-Sea which was heading for Sword Beach. They arrived on 20 June 1944 but bad weather and heavy shelling by the German defenders prevented them unloading for three days. A decision was made to move so they could unload on Juno Beach instead.

They got ready to sail at 07:40 on 24 June 1944 but the sound of her engines triggered an acoustic mine which had been dropped during one of the German Luftwaffe's nightly raids. The ship broke in two and the stern sank within seconds.

Noel Beck was posted as missing, presumed killed in action. His body was never found so he is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial to the Missing.

Iris Beck was to remarry in York in the June quarter of 1951 to Noel David Goodrick and died in 1990, again in York.

British Normandy Memorial - Additional Information

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