Pte 41279 James Beaman

• Age: 37
• From: Pendleton, Manchester
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

James Beaman was born in the December quarter of 1879 in Salford, Manchester, the son of Joseph Beaman and his wife Mary Ellen (nee Unsworth) of Salford. They were married in Liverpool in 1863.

The 1881 Census shows the family living at 41 Whit Lane, Pendleton. His father, Joseph, is aged 44 born in Salford in 1837, his occupation recorded as a clogger, his mother, Mary, is aged 43, with no occupation listed, she was also born in Salford as were all their children. Elizabeth aged 16, born 1865 is a cotton weaver as was Mary Jane aged 14, born 1867, Sarah Ann aged 11, born 1870, Emma aged 9, born 1872, Thomas aged 6, born 1875 were all at school,  Joseph aged 3, born 1878 and James aged 1.

His mother died, aged 49, in the March quarter of 1886

The 1891 Census shows the family have moved to 40 Whit Lane, Pendleton. His father, Joseph, is  a widower aged 56, occupation clogger. He has six children in the household; Mary Jane aged 24, a cotton weaver, Sarah A. aged 21, a cotton winder, Emma aged 19, Thomas E. aged 16, a grocers assistant,  Joseph aged 14, an errand boy, James aged 11, a scholar.

His father died aged 64 in the March quarter of 1900.

The 1901 Census shows James, aged 21, is employed as a pleater in a cotton mill. Head of the family now is Emma aged 29, with brother Thomas aged 26 still in the cotton mill. His sister, Sarah Ann, also died in 1900, so nieces Gertude aged 6, and Elsie Armitage aged 4 are present.

The 1911 Census shows James lodging with the Whitehead family. He is now aged 30 and employed as a cloth maker up in a dye works. 

He enlisted in Manchester and was serving in the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 41279 when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917 during the Third Battle of Ypres aged 37.

17^th Battalion

On that day, the 89th Brigade was to follow up the attacks of the 21st and 90th Brigades and once their objectives had been taken, to go through them and secure a line of strong points on the German third line. The 89th Brigade line of attack was from the South West corner of Polygon Wood, to the Menin Road. The 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment was on the left of the attack, and the 20th to the right, with the 19th Battalion and the 2nd Battalion The Bedfordshire Regiment, in Divisional Reserve.

The Battalion moved into assembly positions east of Maple Copse between 05.00 and 05.20am, they were heavily shelled and suffered many casualties. At 07.50 they began to advance with the 17^th Battalion on the left, and the 20^th on the right, the whole time under heavy shell fire. On reaching their position which was the Blue Line , troops of both the 21^st and 90^th Brigades were still pinned down  and thus any attempt at further progress were futile.

Despite this they pushed on until their flank was just touching Clapham Junction. They then dug in and awaited the inevitable bombardment which hit them soon after. Despite this, they held onto the ground.  

During the action and their time in the line the 17^th Battalion lost three officers and 79 men killed or died of wounds and four officers and 198 men wounded. They were eventually relieved on the night of 3^rd -4^th August.   

James' body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

His effects were given to his brother's Thomas, Joseph, and sister's Elizabeth and Mary, but no Pension record has been found.