238776 L/Cpl. Albert Richmond Beaver British Army 8th Btn. Loyal North Lancashire from:St. George, Bristol (d.27th May 1917) R. Beaver is commemorated on the Mangotsfield War Memorial but there is no man of that name from Mangotsfield recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. But, there is an Albert Richmond Beaver from the village so it appears he was probably better known as Richmond Baber as indicated on the Electoral list of 1914?
Hewas born in 1890 in Mangotsfield to Albert and Amy Keziah Beaver (nee Baker) who were married on 25th December 1888 in Christ Church, Downend. In 1891 they were living in Staple Hill and ten years later Richmond was residing in Salisbury Avenue, Two Mile Hill, St. George with his step father William Gingell who had married Richmond's mother Amy in 1895 following the death of Richmond's father Albert in 1892. When he enlisted in 1909 Richmond was employed as a box making machinist in a printing works living at 11, Burchell's Green Road, St. George with his step father who had also been widowed, with Richmond's mother Amy passing away in 1910.
Richmond enlisted for ten years on 3rd June 1909 in Bristol as Ordinary Seaman Bristol 3/788 in the Royal Naval Division with his records showing he was 5' 6" tall with dark brown hair with grey eyes and had a small tattoo smudge on his right forearm. However his service appears to have been cut short or 'Incomplete' according to his service record. Despite having reached the level of A.B. (Able Bodied Seaman) it also states that his service onboard H.M.S. Spartan (a Second Class Light Cruiser) was cancelled and demoted to ships cook. Clearly he left the Royal Navy as the 1914 Electoral Register has Richmond living in 9, Court Road, Kingswood, with his wife Elizabeth.
He formerly served as Lance Corporal 27193 1st/6th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment (based upon his service number), enlisting some time after 1915 and later posted as Lance Corporal 34329 to 8th (Service) Battalion, The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment (25th Division) for Kitchener's Army which had landed in Boulogne on 16th September 1915, the division concentrating in the area of Nieppe and on 26th October it was transferred to 7th Brigade. Their first action was in defence of the German attack on Vimy Ridge in May 1916. They then moved to The Somme and joined the Battle just after the main attack, with 75th Brigade making a costly attack near Thiepval on the 3rd of July. The Division was in action at The Battle of Bazentin, The Battle of Pozieres and The Battle of the Ancre Heights
Richmond was killed in action on 27th May 1917 near Neuve Eglise in the Battle of Messines during the attack between the Wulverghem-Messines and Wulverghem-Wytschaete roads and is buried at the Dranoutre Military Cemetery, 11.5 kilometres south of Ypres, Belgium. Strangely there is nothing untoward in the Battalion's War Diary to indicate there was any figthing with the enemy ..24th - 28th May. The 7th Infantry Brigade relieved the 74th Infantry Brigade in the Wulvergheim sector. The 1st Battalion Wiltshire Regiment going into the trenches. 8th Loyal North Lancs in brigade support at Neuve Eglise and the two remaining battalions in reserve at Aldershot and Bulford camps. However the Diary states that during the night of the 28th ...the enemy bombarded our front trenches, the damage done being inconsiderable (negligible).... so how was Richmond killed? He was posthumously awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War and Victory medals
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