Beveridge, Harold William, son of Andrew Beveridge, of Clapham Common, Surrey, solicitor and parliamentary agent, by Catherine, daughter of Robert Twentyman Lightfoot, M. D., of Newcastle-upon-Tyne; b. Feb. 20, 1881; adm. Sept. 27, 1894 (A); left Dec. 1898; Ch. Ch. Oxon., matric.; B.A. 1902; called to the bar at the Inner Temple June 24, 1903; parliamentary draftsman; N. E. Circuit; played golf for Oxford against Cambridge 1900, 1901, and 1902, for Scotland v. England 1908, and for the Amateurs v. the Professionals in the Coronation Foursomes June 24, 1911; Capt. R. A. S. C. Feb. 27, 1917; demob. Feb. 1919; m. March 23, 1912, Marion, daughter of Frederick Bailey, of Mileham, Norfolk.
Bevan, Robert Alexander Polhill, son of Robert Polhill Bevan, of Hampstead, Middlesex, by Stanislawa, daughter of Alexander de Kartowski, of Czelicay, Poland; b. March 15, 1901; adm. as K.S. Sept. 25, 1913; Capt. of the School 1919; elected to Ch. Ch. Oxon. July 1919, matric. Michaelmas 1919; chairman of S. H. Benson, Ltd., advertising agents; Lieut. R. N. V. R. July 30, 1940; Lieut.-Comdr.; O.B.E. March 11, 1941; C.B.E. June 1963; m. July 11, 1946, Mrs. Natalie Sieveking, daughter of Court Denney, of Kensington; d. 1974.
Bevan, Peter James Stuart, son of Stuart James Bevan, LL. B., K.C., of West Brompton, by Sylvia, daughter of George Grossmith, of Folkestone, Kent, and nephew of Arthur Bevan (q.v.); b. Sept. 8, 1901; adm. Sept. 23, 1915 (G); left July 1920; Trin. Coll. Camb., matric. Michaelmas 1920; B.A. 1923; M.A. 1947; called to the bar at the Middle Temple Jan. 26, 1927; Bencher of the Middle Temple 1952; Sub.-Lieut. R. N. V. R. July 1939; Lieut. (Sp.) Dec. 1, 1939; Lieut.-Cdr. 1942; m. June 15, 1929, Phyllis Marjorie, daughter of F.V. Enthmen, of London; d. 1968.
BeuteII, Robert Gerard, son of Alfred William Beutell MIEE, of Streatham, and Ida Augusta, d. of Augustus Combe Locke; b. 1 Mar. 1918; adm. Sept. 1931 (A); left July 1934; a lighting engineer; RAFVR 1943 (Flt Lieut.), met. branch; lost on air operations (N. Atlantic) 21 Jan. 1945.
Robert Gerard Beuttell was born in London on the 1st of March 1918 the younger son of Alfred William Beuttell MIEE, an electrical engineer and inventor, and Ida Augusta (nee Locke) Beuttell of 42, Prince of Wales Mansions, Battersea Park in London and of Malmesbury in Wiltshire. He was christened at St Paul’s Church, Chiswick on the 11th of May 1918.
He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Ashburnham from September 1931 to July 1934. He won the Junior Toplady Prize for Scripture in 1932.
On leaving school he attended the Royal College of Science where he gained a degree in 1937 after which he went to work as a lighting engineer.
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and by September 1941 he was serving as a Corporal based at the Meteorological Office at RAF Dishforth.
He wrote the following in a letter to his father on a flight he had taken in a Whitley aircraft: - "Had a wonderful flip the other day in the front turret of a Whitley, you get a wonderful view from there. Across the Pennines to the Isle of Man, up to Prestwick in Scotland and home, a 3.5 hour trip. I don't envy the AG his job, sitting in one position for hours on end, and next time I shall put on two pairs of undies, it was a bit draughty. It was a wonderful trip all the same, the high spot being when we "shot up" the beach at Prestwick. Of course it's strictly forbidden, but having experienced the thrill and irresistible amusement of it, I'd really have to forgive any culprit. Of course you are connected to all the crew the whole time by the intercommunication system, by which everybody speaks to everybody else. For the fun of coming along the shore at about 1000 ft, stuck right in the nose of the machine, then swooping to about 150 ft off the sands, then soaring up again, with the wit and cross-chat of the crew thrown in, a switch-back just doesn't compare. Then round again, "We might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb. - Just one more", nose down, the sands streaking up to meet you, people gaping, scattering, ducking, - scooting along at about 50 ft, then pressed into your seat with the climb, almost aching with laughter, it was grand. Then the rather chilly trip home, though mostly in bright sunshine."
He transferred to the High Altitude Flight at Boscombe Down later the same year and collaborated with A.W. Brewer in inventing the integrating nephelometer.
He was accepted as a Metrological Observer and was commissioned with the rank of Flying Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on the 6th of March 1943, which was followed by two months of training. He was appointed as Meteorological Air Observer Leader and served briefly with 517 Squadron before being attached to the 25th Bomb Group at RAF Watton. He then joined 518 Squadron, based at RAF Tiree in Scotland and was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on the 20th of January 1944.
Robert Beutell and his crew took off from RAF Tiree at 11.53pm on the 20th of January 1945 in Halifax Mk V LL123 517/C for a long range “Bismuth” meteorological mission. Wing Commander Norman Morris, the Squadron commanding officer, was to fly as 2nd pilot and had personally selected the crew for the mission. The aircraft was to fly a triangular route to the north of RAF Tiree in order to find the depth of a deep depression. Having taken off, the aircraft flew at a height of 1,800 feet until it reached a position some 250 nautical miles to the west of Tiree where it took its first meteorological observation at 3.28am and reported its findings at 4.44am. Having flown another 350 nautical miles further out to sea, the aircraft climbed to 18,000 feet and turned to the northeast.
Due to poor reception, nothing further was received until 7.12am when the next transmission reported that the aircraft was flying at 10,500 feet and that there was a problem with the starboard engine. At 8.08am a SOS message came in from the aircraft followed by another at 8.18am, which ended suddenly after which nothing further was heard. The aircraft crashed into the sea with the loss of the entire crew.
The crew was: -
Wing Commander Norman Foster Morris (2nd Pilot)
Flight Lieutenant Arthur John Bacon (Pilot)
Flight Lieutenant Robert Gerard Beuttell (Meteorological Observer)
Flight Sergeant William Douglas Stone (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Robert Kiddle (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Rennie Arthur Loader (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Albert Howard Andrews (Flight Engineer)
Warrant Officer Anton David Anderson RAAF (Navigator/Air Bomber)
Although the wireless operator had been transmitting for ten minutes before the aircraft crashed, he did not report its position. A fix was obtained on the position where the aircraft was likely to have ditched as being approximately 59N 11-13 W. Aircraft were dispatched by 281 Squadron who searched the area for the next three days in the hope of finding survivors but, with the weather conditions being very poor, the search was abandoned at 11.14am on the 24th of January.
Robert Beuttell had written a letter to his father shortly before he was killed in which he said that he did not expect to survive the war.
A friend wrote of him: - “Gerard was an extremely gifted scientist whose important work on instruments of visual range was posthumously recognised and published. His death was a serious blow to his father, who never quite recovered his formidable drive and energy afterwards”.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Malmesbury.
He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial Panel 265.
BETTESWORTH, ROBERT; b.; adm. (aged 11) Jun 1738 (Preston's); left 1738. [Doubtless brother of, or close kin to, Edmund Bettesworth, adm. same month]
BETTESWORTH, EDMUND, third son of John Bettesworth LLD, Dean of the Court of Arches, and Elizabeth, dau. of Rev. John Jones DD, Rector of Selattyn, Shropshire; b.; adm. (aged 14) Jun 1738 (Preston's); left 1741; Univ. Coll. Oxford, matr. 16 Apr 1741; BA 23 Jan 1744/5; MA 1749; ordained priest (Peterborough) 20 Dec 1747; Rector of Shepperton, Middlesex, 28 Feb 1751/2-3; Vicar of Highworth, Wilts., 21 Sep 1757-62; m. 3 Mar 1753 Anne, dau. of Rev. Thomas Harwood, Rector of Shepperton, Middlesex; d. before 1804 (library sold 14 Jan 1788).
BETHUNE, MONTAGU ROBERT, youngest son of Rev. George Cuddington Bethune, Rector of Chulmleigh, Devon, and Julia, dau. of Rev. George Hole, Rector of Chulmleigh, Devon, and Prebendary of Exeter; b. 13 Apr 1865; adm. QS 12 Jun 1879; elected to Trinity Coll. Cambridge (with Triplett) 1884, adm. pens. 20 Aug 1884, matr. Mich. 1884; BA 1887; MA 1892; ordained deacon 1893, priest (Winchester) 1894; Assistant Master, Twyford Sch., Hants., 1891-7; Curate Twyford, Hants., 1893-7, Ashtead, Surrey, 1897-9, Farnham, Surrey, 1899-1904; Vicar of Woodham, Surrey, 1904-18; Vicar of Hindhead, Surrey, 1918-22; Vicar of Lymington, Hants., from 1922; m. 9 Jun 1904 Dorothea Katharine, younger dau. of Rev. William James Mellish, Winestead, Yorks.; d. 15 May 1950.
BETHAM, CECIL WILLIAM, eldest son of Molyneux Cecil John Betham, Rockford, Co. Dublin, barrister, Cork Herald, and Elizabeth, only dau. of Sir Richard Ford (qv); b. 14 Apr 1840; adm. 19 Oct 1849 (Rigaud's); Ensign, 54th Foot, 20 Feb 1863; retd. 13 Feb 1866; m. 29 Apr 1869 Emily, dau. of John Mallet Williamson, Monkstown, Co. Dublin.
BESTNEY, NICHOLAS, only son of Nicholas Bestney, barrister, Ancient Grays’ Inn, and Bridget, dau. of John Michell, Warnham, Sussex, and St. Dunstan’s [check], London; b.; adm.; KS 16 Nov 1610; adm. Gray’s Inn 18 Jun 1604; m. 1st, Anne, dau. of Thomas Methwold, London; lic. to m. 2nd, 18 Jun 1634 Catherine, dau. of William Temple, Leics.
Besson, Frank (Cisco), son of Anthony and Martha Besson, of London; b. Dec. 16, 1895; adm. April 28, 1910 (R); left Dec. 1914; Flight Sub-Lieut. R.N.A.S. Dec. 21, 1914; gazetted after his death Lieut. Jan. 1, 1916; served at Dunkirk Aug. 1915; went out to the Dardanelles Sept. 9, 1915; drowned off the Gallipoli Peninsula whilst on reconnaisance patrol, his machine being brought down in the sea by the enemy, and his observer captured, Dec. 20, 1915; unm.