Current Information:

3 Ketch's Cottages, Salvador Place, Lower Tooting

Contay British Cemetery, Contay, France

The exact circumstances of the death of George Beardwell, who died from wounds on 1st October, 1916, are not known but artillery men faced many dangers and during the course of the war nearly 50,000 of them were killed. Their gun batteries were targeted by the enemy’s guns which accounted for many of their casualties. Others were sent forward to act as ‘spotters’ which meant going forward to the front line and signalling back to the guns necessary changes in target and other vital information. Keeping the batteries supplied with ammunition was a dangerous task as the enemy guns would target the known supply routes, especially at night. Brigade Diaries rarely shine any light on casualties sustained, unless of course they were officers and even then information is sparse. 

60th Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery was attached to 11th Division which, after serving in Gallipoli in 1915, arrived in France in July, 1916 and were in action straight away in the Battle of the Somme. In September, 1916 they fought in both the Battle of Flers-Courcelette and the Battle of Thiepval.