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Auction: 25001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 361

The superb 'mine-clearance 1943' M.M. group of seven awarded to Lance-Sergeant W. F. T. Beet, Royal Engineers, who cleared 70 mines over a period of 48 hours under heavy fire without rest in North Africa

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (1858429 L. Sjt. W. F. T. Beet. R.E.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Army L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R. (1858429 Spr. W. F. T. Beet. R.E.), mounted court style for wear, light contact marks, very fine (7)

M.M. London Gazette 23 September 1943, the original recommendation states:

'This Sgt. was attached to my Bn. from 23rd. Fld. Coy., R.E. for the attack on Pt. 134 and GRICHEL OUED on 23rd April. During the period of consolidation when it was necessary to find and clear a German minefield on the track leading to GRICHEL OUED, this Sgt. behaved with great efficiency and devotion to duty and did all and more than was demanded of him and his sub-section with complete disregard for his personal safety.

The above minefield was the first German field met with by any member of 23rd Field Company R.E.

When he had completed his task of gapping and marking the field, L/Sgt. Beet had been leading his sub-sec. for 48 hours without sleep, and for a large proportion of this time he was under fire. He had actually lifted 70 mines of which 26 were "booby trapped" and 16 A. Pers. Mines.

On 30th April L/Sgt. Beet was in charge of a minefield gapping party near the GABGAB gap. The party was under intermittent fire, and a mortar shell eventually wounded four of his party including himself. He refused to leave the site until the other three wounded had been attended to and he received a direct order from Officer i.c work to go.'

William Frederick Taylor Beet enlisted on 5 May 1921 with the Royal Engineers as a Boy. He reached his majority on 10 June 1924, being advanced Sapper and posted to 'D' Company, T.B. Royal Engineers. Seeing service over the next decade he was posted to 23rd Field Company on 14 September 1939, this formation saw action during the Fall of France in 1940.

Embarking with them for North Africa on 26 March 1943 Beet was to earn his award just the next month, under the most trying circumstances imaginable. He was later to serve with the unit in Italy from December 1943 however did not join them in Palestine in 1945.

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Estimate
£1,000 to £1,400

Starting price
£800