Description
A ‘North Russia – Archangel Command’ Military Cross Major A. Beckerleg, Royal Engineers, later Commanding Officer, Penzance Company, Home Guard during the Second World War.
M.C. London Gazette 3 June 1919.
Adolphus Beckerleg, a native of Alverton, Penzance, was appointed Lieutenant on 1 June 1916 and served in France with 504th Field Company, Royal Engineers from 26 January 1917. Invalided home on 25 March 1917 as a result of shock and a disorderly heart action, he went through numerous Medical Boards and was advanced Captain on 27 May 1918 and advanced Major on 1 November 1918. He served in North Russia and would have sailed on the Elope on 16 June 1918. Soonafter landing, he is known to have led a party of Sappers to board a Russian cruiser and ‘…reduced her ability to do harm’ (The Royal Engineers Journal, December 1974, refers). Having earned his M.C. and received his Order of St Anne, being demobilised in July 1919, he applied for his Medals in 1923.
In his youth, Beckerleg played football for the Penzance Football Club and was selected to play for the All-Cornwall XI. A mining enginner by trade, he worked in India, South Africa and Manila, before returning home to The Skelda, Madron. During the Second World War he was appointed to the command of the Penzance Company and died at home in January 1944 (The Cornishman, 6 January 1944, refers); sold with copied research and roll pages.
