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Major General Daniel Marcus William Beak, VC |
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Cheltenham Borough Council, This England magazine and Cheltenham YMCA have agreed that a bronze plaque be erected on part of the balustrade, inside the surrounds to the Borough War Memorial in The Promenade, Cheltenham to this former Secretary of Cheltenham YMCA who is buried in an unmarked grave in Brookwood Cemetery, Surrey, and who currently has no other commemoration in the UK.
The memorial will be unveiled by the Mayor of Cheltenham at 1230pm on Wednesday 27th September 2006 and the Cheltenham British Legion have kindly agreed to organise a short service of dedication at the same spot immediately beforehand.
Guests of Honour will include Didy Grahame (VC & GC Association), Brian Best (VC Society) and naval and military dignitaries. The service will be followed by a small VIP reception in the Mayor’s Parlour.
This England magazine will organise the productions of the bronze plaque and Cheltenham Borough Council will arrange for it's erection in the balustrade area. Television and BBC Local Radio will be invited to the ceremony and This England magazine will follow up with an article in the Winter 2006 issue.
All enquiries to Peter Worsley,
This England magazine, Alma House, 73 Rodney Road, Cheltenham, GL50
1HT. Tel. 01242-537900 |
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One-time Cheltenham resident, Daniel Marcus
William Beak was born in Southampton in 1891 and was appointed Secretary of
Cheltenham YMCA prior to his joining the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in 1915. The son of Mr and Mrs W H Beak, formerly of West End House, Donhead St. Mary, Wiltshire, he was educated at Taunton School and joined the RNVR on the 26th January 1915 as a ranker, and rose swiftly to Petty Officer. He was gazetted Sub-Lieutenant on 8th May 1915 in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve for duty with the Royal Naval Division, where he saw service in Gallipoli and was present during the evacuation of the peninsula. He spent the rest of his active career on the Western Front in France where he was awarded numerous gallantry awards, including the Victoria Cross. Full details of the award of his VC can be viewed here, and his full medal entitlement was: Victoria Cross |
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