Francis Rex Beech
Born 24 Jul 1908 - Died 1 Feb 1941
- Service number
- WWII 1093 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- Corporal/Military AWMM Divisional Cavalry AWMM
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- Francis Rex AWMM
- Surname
- Beech AWMM
- Ingoa
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- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- WWII 1093 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
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- Religion
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Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 24 Jul 1908 AWMM
- Date of birth
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- Place of birth
- —
- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
- WW2 Unknown AWMM Picton, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- WW2 Mr F.J. Beech (father), Picton, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 05 Jan 1940-31 Mar 1940 AWMM Single AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
- Campaign
- Western Desert AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- WWII 1093 AWMM
- Military service
- New Zealand Armoured Corps, Divisional Cavalry, Long Range Desert Group AWMM
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
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- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
- WW2 Unknown AWMM Engineering (radio)/Civilian AWMM
- Age on enlistment
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- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW2 Corporal/Military AWMM 2nd Divisional Cavalry Regiment AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
- Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- Corporal/Military AWMM
Divisional Cavalry AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Corporal Beech was the son of Francis Joseph and Ethel Christina Beech, of Picton, Marlborough.
Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939-45: Divisional Cavalry (p.45) lists Corporal Beech's death as being on 1 January 1941. AWMM - A short film Desert Pirates: Bird of Paradise Productions priduced for NZ Herald 2026 describes the role of the LRDG and Rex's role in the Libyan conflict. Featured 23 and 24 April 2026.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/desert-pirates-a-short-film-about-the-long-range-desert-group/ZZYU3ZELNJVJ2DVL63HME5JL4M/Public - Jenny - Other relative - 24 April 2026 - NZ Herald 23/24 April 2026 - Francis Rex Beech (Service number 1093) from Picton, Marlborough served in the NZ Army in the Westrn Desert during World War 2. He gave his next of kin on embarkation as Mr F.J. Beech (father), of Picton,. A Radio engineer in civilian life, he was a Corporal in the 2nd Divisional Cavalry of 2NZEF: 1st Echelon (alongside his cousin John Brendon Beech #1092) He was Killed in Action, 1 February 1941 in Kufra, Libya and is buried at the Knightsbridge War Cemetery, in Acroma, Libya (grave reference 6.J.13). He was Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) for his actions with the famous Long Range Desert Group that operated behind enemy lines in the Western Desert[3] His name appears on the War Memorial on the Picton-Nelson Road, and the panel for WW2 dead on the Picton War Memorial. Note: The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939-45: Divisional Cavalry (p.45) lists Corporal Beech's death as being on 1 January 1941. Another cousin Bernard McBeth, who was taken as a POW later in 1941, died in the Lamsdorf Death March in January 1945
Kufra was an oasis of Strategic importance during WW2. On 31 January 1941 Pat Clayton, an explorer recruited by British Intelligence, was captured by the Italian Auto-Saharan Company near Jebel Sherif, when leading "T" Patrol in reconnaissance of the planned attack on Kufra. He was the basis for the character of Peter Madox in The English Patient. In 2008 historians Brendan O'Carroll (New Zealand), Guno Goss (Switzerland) and Roberto Chiavetto (Italy) travelled to Libya to track down three LRDG trucks that had been abandoned in 1941 at Gebel Sherif, in Southern Libya, after the LRDG's first encounter with their Italian equivalent, the Autosahariana. This 65 minute documentary traced their journey, and includes never before seen archival film of the LRDG in action. It was first aired on ANZAC day, 25 April 2009 on Television New ZealandPublic - Jenifer - Researcher - 21 April 2020 - Wikitree / Francis Rex Beech.
- Corporal Beech was the son of Francis Joseph and Ethel Christina Beech, of Picton, Marlborough.
About death
- Death
- 1 Feb 1941 AWMM
Age 33 AWMM - Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
- —
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action AWMM
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- Knightsbridge War Cemetery, Acroma, Libya AWMM 6.J.13. AWMM
- Cemetery name
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- Grave reference
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- Obituary
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- Memorial name
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- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
- Marlborough War Memorial, Second World War Panel AWMM
Sources
- External links
- Loughnan, R. (1963). Divisional Cavalry. Wellington, Dept. of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. Digital copy.
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2DiCa.html
Sources Used - Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2096054
Sources Used - Captain Bruce Ballantyne pays tribute to Corporal Rex Beech in a 1941 recording found on Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision's online catalogue. U-series. Further talks on the LRDG. Pts 1-6 11734.
https://www.ngataonga.org.nz/search-use-collection/search/11734
Further Reference - Johnston, Sarah. (2023). “With the boys overseas: How Homefront listeners shaped the work of Aotearoa New Zealand's first battlefront broadcasters”. New Zealand Journal of Public History, 9, 33-58.
https://phanza.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Sarah-Johnston-With-the-Boys-Overseas.pdf
Further Reference
- Loughnan, R. (1963). Divisional Cavalry. Wellington, Dept. of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. Digital copy.
- References
- Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 1 (Embarkations to 31st March, 1940). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
WW2 1: WW2 16 - Loughnan, R. (1963). Divisional Cavalry. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
p. 45. - Kay, R. (1949). Long Range Desert Group in Libya, 1940-41. Wellington, N.Z. : War History Branch, Department of Internal Affairs.
- Kay, R. L. (1950). Long Range Desert Group in the Mediterranean. Wellington, N.Z. : War History Branch Department of Internal Affairs.
- Sanders, J. (1976). Desert patrols : New Zealanders with the Long Range Desert Group. Auckland: Wilson and Horton.
- Gower-Collins, C. (1999). Raids, road watches, and reconnaisance : an analysis of the New Zealand contribution to the Long Range Desert Group in North Africa, 1940-1943 : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History at Massey University [Dissertation].
- Also recognised on the Sounds Soldiers Memorial
On the crest of Torea RoadPublic - Ron - Researcher - 26 April 2025 - Personal involvement in restoration and maintenance of this memorial
- Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 1 (Embarkations to 31st March, 1940). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
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