BEAMISH, Kenneth William
| Service Number: | WX4708 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 23 June 1940, Ken joined the 2nd/7th Field Regiment as a Gunner (Private), underwent training at Northam. |
| Last Rank: | Gunner |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/7th Field Regiment |
| Born: | Hampton Court, England, 22 May 1920 |
| Home Town: | West Perth, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Carpenter |
| Died: | Natural Causes , Gosnells, Western Australia, Australia, 18 November 2009, aged 89 years |
| Cemetery: |
Karrakatta Cemetery & Crematorium, Western Australia Ken was cremated with his ashes being interred at the Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park, Cassia Court Garden 5 0012. |
| Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
| 23 Jun 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Gunner, WX4708, 2nd/7th Field Regiment, Ken joined the 2nd/7th Field Regiment as a Gunner (Private), underwent training at Northam. | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Nov 1940: | Embarked Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Gunner, WX4708, 2nd/7th Field Regiment, Embarked at Fremantle on HMAT Stratheden for service in the Middle East. | |
| 17 Dec 1940: | Involvement Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Gunner, WX4708, 2nd/7th Field Regiment, Middle East / Mediterranean Theatre, Ken served as a signaller with his regiment and on 27 February 1941 was a Graded Group II Signaller. Ken departed the ME in January 1943 arriving in Fremantle on 18 February 1943 per L4. | |
| 8 Apr 1945: | Embarked Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Gunner, WX4708, 2nd/7th Field Regiment, Embarked from Townsville, QLD, per USS General H. W. Butner (AP-113) for the island Moroti in the Dutch East Indies. | |
| 16 Apr 1945: | Involvement Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Gunner, WX4708, 2nd/7th Field Regiment, Borneo - Operation Oboe May - August 1945, Ken arrived at Morotai Island and on 31 May 1945 he was re-deployed for service to British North Borneo (Labuan) per LST 591, again as a signaller. Ken Departed Labuan returning to Australia on the SS River Clarence, arriving in Brisbane on 16 October 1945. | |
| 1 Nov 1945: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Gunner, WX4708, 2nd/7th Field Regiment, After returning to Brisbane, QLD Australia in October 1945 from Borneo, Ken travelled back to Western Australia, where at the Irwin Barracks in Karrakatta he received his discharged. |
Help us honour Kenneth William Beamish's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Jeffrey Oates
Kenneth William Beamish, known as Ken, was the son of George Henry and Lucy Anna (Facer) Beamish from Surrey in England.
Although all AMF records have Ken’s date of birth as 22 May 1922, the record of his baptism has his birth date as 22 April 1922 and his baptism as 14 May 1922.
Ken migrated to Australia at age 4 with his parents and siblings, leaving London on the P&O SS Benalla on 19 August 1926 and arriving in Fremantle on 29 September 1926 and settling in the Perth suburb of Belmont.
For his service in WW2 Ken was awarded the following medals:
1939/45 Star
Africa Star with 8th Army Clasp
Pacific Star
Defence Medal
War Medal 1939/45
Australia Service Medal 1939/45
Returned from Active Service Badge
While back from the Middle East, and on leave in 1943, Ken married Alice Marie Ashwin on 6 March in Perth, Western Australia. After Ken’s discharge from the AMF, he and his wife initially lived in Osborne Park where Ken worked as a cabinet maker. The family finally settled in the Perth southern suburb of Bentley.
Ken and his wife had three daughters from their marriage and an adopted son Max. Ken and his wife separated in the late 1970’s finally divorcing in about 1995.
Ken went on to marry a second time and live for some time after that in Port Hedland in the northwest of Western Australia before relocating back to the Perth suburban area.
Click images to start slideshow.