Family back honour for town hero

A plaque honouring a Victoria Cross hero from Bingham is to be put up in the town.

Corporal Harry Beet received the military honour for saving another soldier’s life during the Boer War.

In recognition, Bingham Town Council is planning to install a plaque. It could be put in the council chamber at The Old Courthouse.

It has been backed by Corporal Beet’s grandson, Mr Kevin Beet, who read about it on the Advertiser website.

Mr Beet, of Vancouver, Canada, said his family was delighted to hear of the honour.

Mr Beet said his grandfather died before all but one of his siblings were born but they all knew from a young age the story of how he came to be awarded the Victoria Cross.

He said they were allowed to look at keepsakes from those times, including a Player’s Cigarettes card in his name, one of a series of cards telling Victoria Cross stories, the diary he kept during his time in India and a letter from Corporal Burnett, whose life he saved.

Mr Beet said: “The medals were brought out by our dad and polished with a very soft old brush that had belonged to his father and, as we grew older, we were permitted to take the Victoria Cross to school to be viewed by our classmates on Remembrance Day.

“Needless to say, we were very proud.

“The story of his heroism is certainly inspiring in that he risked his life under such difficult circumstances in order to save one of his comrades.”

Corporal Beet, born in 1875, served with the 1st Battalion Derbyshire Regiment, later the Sherwood Foresters.

On April 22, 1900, Corporal Beet came across a wounded soldier near a farm.

Despite being exposed to heavy fire throughout the afternoon, Corporal Beet stayed with his comrade, put him under cover and bandaged his wounds.

Until darkness fell he continued firing and prevented the enemy reaching the farm.

After the war, he emigrated to Canada with his wife, Mrs Annie Beet. As a veteran he was given land to farm at Daysville, Saskatchewan.

Between 1914 and 1919 Corporal Beet served in England with the Canadian Army, obtaining the rank of Honourable Captain at discharge.

He died in 1946, aged 70, and is buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver.

A memorial to him was erected on his farm at Daysville in 1995.

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Sherwood Foresters Museum, Nottingham Castle.

War history enthusiast Mr Tony Higton, of Priors Close, Bingham, is leading a campaign to create a memorial at Nottingham Castle for the 20 Nottinghamshire men awarded the Victoria Cross.

The £20,000 rough-hewn granite memorial will feature all the men’s names. About £4,000 has been raised so far.