Corporal Arthur William Beasant

1. Corporal, 8th Battalion, Infantry (Army).
2. Private (Army).
3. Sergeant (Army).

Arthur was born in Southwark, London, England on 2 November 1881. His parents were George Frederick Beasant and Alice Elizabeth Key and he was the third of their eight children, six sons and two daughters. His parents were both born in London. His father worked as a labourer and later as caretaker of a building. His mother died in 1897 when he was 16 years old.

Arthur served with the British Navy for 12 years. In the 1901 census of England he was enumerated in Gibraltar as an ordinary seaman on the Majestic.

His older brother George Beasant immigrated to Canada in 1908 and Arthur followed in October 1909. He was single, age 28, an electrician going to Winnipeg, Manitoba. Two years later, in August 1911, he married Alice Ruth Muddiman in Winnipeg and their only child Frederick Arthur was born on 30 November 1913. In city directories the family was listed at 619 Moncton Avenue, East Kildonan from 1914 to 1918.

Arthur enlisted in Winnipeg on 10 December 1915, signing up with the 144th Battalion. His unit was sent overseas the following year, embarking from Halifax on 18 September 1916 and arriving in Liverpool about a week later. On 12 January 1917 Arthur was transferred to the 18th Reserve Battalion and he trained with them for about a year. He had been appointed Acting Sergeant and in January 1918 he reverted to the ranks in order to go to France. He was drafted to the 8th Battalion and he joined them in the field at the end of the January.

The Canadians were heavily involved in the final months of the war, a period known now as the Hundred Days Offensive. Arthur was promoted to Corporal on 10 August and appointed Lance Sergeant on 5 September. Arthur was Killed in Action at the battle of the Canal du Nord on 29 September, six weeks before the Armistice.

From the Circumstances of Death record for Arthur: "This non-commissioned officer was advancing with his Platoon of which he was in charge, during the Bourlon Wood operations when he was hit by an enemy bullet and instantly killed." There is also a note that Arthur was listed as Sargeant (not Lance Sargeant) on the Comprehensive Report.

From the War Diary of the 8th Battalion the Bourlon Wood operations lasted from September 27th to 29th. “A drizzling rain made the prospects look very unfavourable, but by the time the companies had settled in their allotted areas, the clouds began to break and the weather looked promising for Zero day.” The battalion began to cross the Canal du Nord at 9:15 a.m. on the 27th. On the 28th “one platoon of “C” Company, under Sergeant Beasant went forward to assist the 10th in resisting a counter-attack.” And on the morning of the 29th: “After quite a strenuous two days, it was quite remarkable what good spirits every man of the Battalion was in as he lay in readiness for the day’s show. ... At about 10 A.M. word came that all the Officers in “A” and “C” Companies were casualties. … Our casualties for this day had been unfortunately heavy, particularly with Officers, N.C.O.s and Specialists.” Arthur, an N.C.O. with "C" Company, was one of the casualties on 29 September.

Arthur is buried in Haynecourt British Cemetery near Cambrai in France. He is commemorated on the WW1 Roll of Honour for the 8th Battalion (Royal Winnipeg Rifles).

After the war Arthur’s widow Alice and their son Fred spent nine months in England, from July 1919 to April 1920. Their destination was an address in Birmingham, near where Alice had grown up. After returning to Canada they moved to Kenora, Ontario in 1922 and Alice was married there in September 1924. Her husband, John Good, was a veteran of the war. He passed away in 1939 and Alice followed in January 1947. They are both buried in Lake of the Woods Cemetery in Kenora. Arthur's son Frederick served with a medical unit in the Second World War. He died in Dryden, Ontario in 2002.

Prior experience was 12 years with the British Navy.