BORN HULL 10/10/1894. SON OF THOMAS WILLIAM BEACOCK & ALICE WARD, OF 5, ROSE COURT, WALKER STREET AND 7, RICHARDS PLACE, ADELAIDE STREET, HULL (CWGC ADDRESS) AND 8, WALKER STREET, HULL (WAR PENSION ADDRESS). ONE OF 13 CHILDREN. A FORMER RECKITT’S WORKER.
HE ENLISTED IN THE ROYAL NAVY ON 18/03/1913. SERVED AS A STOKER, FIRST CLASS, ON HMS ‘BLACK PRINCE’. LOST AT SEA DURING THE BATTLE OF JUTLAND. HIS NAME IS LISTED ON ST MARY’S CHURCH, LOWGATE & RECORDED ON THE DANSOM LANE SHRINE.
HMS BLACK PRINCE participated in the Battle of Jutland, but her end was a mystery for many years, as she had lost contact with the British fleet. The German account reads that HMS BLACK PRINCE, briefly engaged the German battleship RHEINLAND at about 23:35 GMT, scoring two hits with 6-inch shells.
HMS BLACK PRINCE then approached the German lines and she turned away from the German battleships, but it was too late. The German battleship THURINGEN fixed the BLACK PRINCE in her searchlights and opened fire.
Up to five other German ships, including battleships NASSAU, OSTFRIESLAND and FRIEDRICH DER GROSSE joined. BLACK PRINCE was hit by at least twelve heavy shells and several smaller ones and sank within 15 minutes with no surivivors of her 857 complement.
