Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Singles

Lot 4414    SESSION 18 (11.30AM FRIDAY 1ST AUGUST)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Singles

Estimate $500,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au

VICTORIA CROSS, with brooch suspender. Back of lower suspender bar inscribed, `2742 Pte. R.M.Beatham./Late 8th Bn. Aus. Imp. Force.' and reverse centre of cross inscribed, `9./Aug./1918.'. Officially engraved. Good very fine.

With plush lined timber case, with velvet lined base, the lid features an engraved Rising Sun badge and below is engraved, `2056/2742/Pte Robert Matthew Beatham VC/8 January 1915 - 11 August 1918/KIA'.
VC: Second Supplement, No.31067, to LG 14/12/1918; CAG No.61, 23/5/1919.
Citation: For most conspicuous bravery and self-sacrifice during the attack north of Rosieres, east of Amiens, on 9th August 1918.
When the advance was held up by heavy machine-gun fire, Private Beatham dashed forward, and, assisted by one man, bombed and fought the crews of four enemy machine guns, killing ten of them and capturing ten others, thus facilitating the advance and saving many casualties.
When the final objective was reached, although previously wounded, he again dashed forward and bombed a machine gun, being riddled with bullets and killed in doing so.
The valour displayed by this gallant soldier inspired all ranks in a wonderful manner.
Robert Matthew Beatham, labourer, born 16Jun1894 at Glassonby, Cumberland, England; Enl. 08Jan1915 at Geelong, Vic; Emb.17Apr1915 with 8Bn; RTA 05Jun1915 with VD arriving 06Aug1915; Emb.10Sep1915 to Gallipoli; WIA 18Aug1916 GSW to back, France; Rejoined unit 30Sep1916; to hospital with VD 18Jan1917; rejoined unit 14Aug1917; WIA 04Oct1917 bomb wound right wrist, Belgium; to France 14Feb1918; rejoined unit 17Jul1918; KIA 11Aug1918, France.
Robert Matthew Beatham was born on 16 June 1894 at Glassonby, Cumberland, England. He attended the local school and as a teenager he emigrated to Australia with his brother, Walter. He was working as a labourer in Geelong, Victoria when he volunteered to join the AIF on 8 January 1915. He was posted to 8th Battalion as a Private and embarked on 17 April 1915 for Suez but returned to Australia in August 1915 due to venereal disease. After recuperation he embarked for Gallipoli as a reinforcement for the 8th Battalion and saw nearly a month of active service there before the general evacuation to Alexandria.
From there he proceeded with his unit to France for service on the Western Front. He served in the Battle of Pozieres where he was wounded. After recuperating he rejoined his unit and was wounded a second time at Broodseinde during the Battle of Passchendale and returned to England for treatment.
Beatham's unit was sent to Rosieres on the second day of the Battle of Amiens and it was attacking high ground near the French town of Lihons when it stalled under heavy machine gun fire after its supporting armour was knocked out of action. At this point, Pte Beatham together with L/Cpl W.G.Nottingham made four charges, regardless of bullets whistling past, using bombs and their bayonets to knock out four enemy machine gun posts killing ten Germans and capturing ten others. Unfortunately Beatham was wounded in the leg but this did not stop him mounting a final charge on a machine gun when the unit's objective was met. During this charge to take out the machine gun post with a bomb he was riddled with bullets from a supporting enemy machine gun post and died.
Six of Beatham's brothers saw active service in WWI as well as his father. Three brothers died, namely John Wilfred, Frederick William and Isaac Allan. Walter who emigrated to Australia with Robert also served in the AIF with the 21st Battalion and was a POW but survived the war.
Robert Matthew Beatham is buried at Heath Cemetery in Harbonieres, France. His Victoria Cross was presented to his mother by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 8th March 1919. It was sold through John Haywards `The Gazette' in April 1967 for ?700. Later, in the 1990s, it was purchased by Spinks in London and they sent it to Melbourne to be sold in Australia. It sold at auction on 27th March 1999 for the hammer price of A$178,500. Pte Beatham's Memorial Plaque and Scroll were sent to his father in England and it appears that his WWI service medals comprising 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-18 and Victory Medal 1914-19 were sent to AIF HQs and then sent to England, probably to his father.
With research.