2nd Lieutenant
Frederick Norman BEWLEY
Infantry
Died: 20th September 1917 - Age: 33

Commemorated:

1. Memorial:Tyne Cot MemorialPanel 99 to 102 and 162 to 162A.
2. Book:The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918Pg.116
    

Awards & Titles:

 

Service Life:

Campaigns:

Unit / Ship / Est.: 16/Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) 

16th (Service) Battalion (Chatsworth Rifles) Formed at Derby on 16 April 1915, by the Duke of Devonshire and the Derbyshire TF Association. Moved to Buxton on 4 may 1915 and then on to Redmires near Sheffield on 8 June. 2 September 1915 : moved to Hursley near Winchester and attached to 117th Brigade in 39th Division. Moved to Aldershot on 30 September 1915 but soon moved to Witley. 6 March 1916 : landed at Le Havre. 16 May 1918 : reduced to cadre strength. 16 August 1918 : transferred to 197th Brigade in 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division.

Action : The Battles of Ypres 1917 (Third Ypres, or Passchendaele) 

31 July - 10 November 1917. By the summer of 1917 the British Army was able for the first time to fight on its chosen ground on its terms. Having secured the southern ridges of Ypres at Messines in June, the main attack started on 31st July 1917 accompanied by what seemed like incessant heavy rain, which coupled with the artillery barrages conspired to turn much of the battlefield into a bog. Initial failure prompted changes in the high command and a strategy evolved to take the ring of ridges running across the Ypres salient in a series of 'bite and hold' operations, finally culminating in the capture of the most easterly ridge on which sat the infamous village of Passchendaele. The Official History carries the footnote ?The clerk power to investigate the exact losses was not available? but estimates of British casualties range from the official figure of 244,000 to almost 400,000. Within five months the Germans pushed the British back to the starting line, which was where they had been since May 1915.

Frederick BEWLEY, Second Lieutenant, 19th Battalion attached 16th Battalion, Sherwood Forseters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) is commemorated on the Mill Hill War Memorial. He was killed in action 20th September 1917 and has no known grave. He is also ommemorated on TYNE COT MEMORIAL, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 99 to 102 and 162 to 162A. 2Lt Frederick Norman BEWLEY 19th Bn KIA 20/9/17 . The National Archive 1914-18 Medal Roll shows he served as a Lance Corporal with 8th Battalion Royal Fusiliers. He was then ommissioned as a 2nd Lieut in the The Sherwood Foresters. Killed in Action 20.9.1917 whilst attached to the 16th (Chatsworth Rifles) Battalion. The day BEWLEY died, 20 Sept 1917 is the most notable day in the history of the Chatsworth Rifles as it was on that day that the Battalion won it?s only VC. They were attacking through Shrewsbury Forest (near Ypres) on the first day of the Battle of the Menin Road (just South of which the forest lies). The battle consisted of an advance through a succession of strong German defensive positions concealed in the shattered remains of the forest. Two of them were code named Welbeck Grange and Chatsworth Castle. 2 Lt BEWLEY was killed , in the afternoon , by small arms fire during the attack on the latter ? in which 34 German prisoners were taken. A small wood SE of Shrewsbury Forest called Bulgar Wood was the final objective. In it was a concrete bunker, which was successfully assaulted by a team led by Cpl Ernest Egerton ? an action which won him the VC. The battle cost the Chatsworth Rifles 2 officers (including BEWLEY) killed and 2 officers wounded. Amongst ORs there were 36 killed, 126 wounded and 24 missing. Total battalion casualties 190. Sources http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Middlesex/MillHill.html Officers Died Great War Official History Military Operations France & Belgium 1917 Vol II John Cotterell

Masonic :

TypeLodge Name and No.Province/District :
Mother : Capper No. 1076 E.C.London

Initiated
Passed
Raised
16th March 1916
13th April 1916
12th October 1916
 

Source :

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Last Updated: 2017-09-09 09:14:31