30532 Private Arthur P Beattie

30532 Private Arthur P Beattie, 4th Battalion The King's Liverpool Regiment

Identification

The name given on the St James Memorial is 'Arthur P Beattie'. The CWGC had two results for A.P. Beattie and only one of them was called Arthur. The certificate showed that he was in the King's Liverpool Regiment (KLR) so he looked like a good candidate.

The medal card and UK Soldiers Died in the Great War (SDIGW) entry tallied and gave his middle name as Patrick.

Family information

The birth of Arthur Patrick Beatty was registered in Liverpool in 1880. His parents were John Beatty and Winifred (formerly Halligan)

In the 1881 census the family were lodging at 80 Aspinall St, John Beatty was working as a Railway Porter, Arthur P was 5 months old.

Winifred died in 1890, registered as Beattie. I haven't found John and Arthur in 1891.

In the 1901 census John and Arthur were boarders at 8 house 22 court Hampton St. Arthur was a widow and they were both working as general labourers.

In 1902 Arthur Patrick Beattie married Martha Jane Dunn in 1902. They had the following children together:

• John Beattie b 1904

• William Alexander Beattie b 1907 d 1916

• Arthur Beattie b 1909 d 1937

• Peter Beattie b 1911 d 29 Sept 1999

In the 1911 census Arthur and Martha Jane with their sons John, William and Arthur were living at 86 St Arnaud St. The census shows that these 3 sons were the only children surviving from 6.

Sadly, their son William Alexander Beattie was killed in an accident in 1916:

Arthur was working as a 'labourer electric works' for Liverpool Corporation.

The Devereux Database at the Museum of Liverpool holds the following additional information about Arthur Beattie:

address 63 Laxey St

Previously employed by the Booth Steamship Line.

Military Information

Arthur’s military service records have not survived but we know that he was with the 4th Battalion The King’s Liverpool Regiment. The 4th battalion were an extra reserve battalion of the regular army.

His medal card shows that he went to France on 7th December 1915 and was eligible for the 1915 Star as well as the Victory Medal and the British War Medal.

Kathy Donaldson of Liverpool Soldiers has transcribed an entry for Arthur P Beattie in a wounded list published on 15th Jan 1917. The lists were published 4-5 weeks after the event so Arthur was probably wounded mid-late December 1916. He was later reported Killed in Action so it would seem that he recovered from his injuries and returned to his regiment for a short time.

Death and commemoration

Arthur Patrick Beattie was killed in action on 23rd April 1917. At the time of his death, the 4th Battalion were part of the 33rd Division which was taking part in the Battles of Arras. The war diary for the day records:

23rd April 1917

Hindenberg Support Line

33rd Division takes part in a general attack 4:45am. Battalion in Brigade Reserve. A Company attached to 4th Suffolks engaged on bombing down the Hindenberg support Line. All available men engaged on bomb carrying to forward companies. 2nd Lieutenant L.W.A. Back and H.S. Aslasksen killed. 2nd Lieutenant R Reid wounded. Estimated casualties Other Ranks 50.

The following notice was printed in the Liverpool Echo on 18th May 1917.

FORMER BOOTH EMPLOYEE

Pte. A.P. Beattie K.L.R. has been killed in action. He resided at 63, Laxey St, Par-road. Before joining the army he was employed in the Booth Steamship Line. He leaves a widow and four children.

Pte Arthur Patrick Beattie has no known grave, his name is inscribed on the Arras Memorial, France.

click here to view his entry on the CWGC website.

His name is also commemorted in Liverpool in the Hall of Remembrance at the Town Hall, and in the Book of Remembrance in the Anglican Cathedral, shown below.

Pension records show that his widow Martha received a grant of £3 and a pension of 28/9 per week from 12th Nov 1917.