Sydney William Beck was born on the 6th April 1885 in Rochester, Kent. The seventh of nine children, his parents were Albert and Mary Beck. Albert was a bargeman, and this was a line of work into which his son would follow.
There is little concrete information about Sydney’s life. He is recorded as having married Janet Ellis on 16th April 1911, this being backed up by his later service records.
When war broke out, Sydney joined the Royal Naval Reserve as a Deck hand. His papers not that he was 5ft 9ins (1.65m) tall, with brown hair and a fresh complexion. He is also recorded as having a clasped hands tattoo on his right forearm.
The funeral took place, with naval honours… on Saturday of Chief Deck Hand Sydney Beck, DSM, who passed away in the Royal Naval Hospital on the 12th inst., from pneumonia. The deceased, who was 33 years of age, was formerly a barge captain… He was on the trawler Aisne, which took place in the battle with a German submarine off Iceland. It was for this engagement deceased was given the DSM.
[Chatham, Rochester and Brompton Observer: Saturday 30th November 1918]
Sydney William Beck died on 12th November 1918, a day after the Armistice was signed, and a month after he was gazetted. His body was laid to rest in St Margaret’s Cemetery, Rochester, Kent.
