George Beynon – 1st South African Infantry

Lance Corporal George Beynon – 1^st South African Infantry

Birth and Family Background

George Beynon

George Beynon was born in 1892 in Kimberley, South Africa. He was the son of George Beynon and Agnes Beynon.

Military Service

George Beynon served with the 1^st South African Infantry, attaining the rank of Lance Corporal. He also served under Louis Botha during the German South West Africa campaign of 1914–1915, when South African forces defeated German colonial troops.

Service in Europe and Capture

Following service in Africa, George was deployed to Europe as part of South Africa’s contribution to the Western Front. During the Battle of Messines, he was wounded in action and subsequently taken prisoner by German forces.

He was transported to the Stettin Prisoner of War Camp in Stettin, where conditions for wounded prisoners were particularly harsh, with limited food, disease, and inadequate medical care.

Registers of Soldiers’ Effects

Registers of Soldiers’ Effects

The Registers of Soldiers’ Effects record that George Beynon was unpaid for his rank of Lance Corporal, indicating that although he held the rank, he did not receive the corresponding pay before his death. This detail reflects the administrative and financial complexities that often accompanied wartime promotions, especially for men wounded, captured, or held as prisoners of war.

Death and Burial

George Beynon
Berlin South-Western Cemetery,
Brandenburg, Germany
credit - findagrave

George Beynon died while a prisoner of war at Stettin Camp, Germany. He is buried at Berlin South-Western Cemetery, Brandenburg, Germany.

Commemoration

Commemorative

George Beynon’s service encompassed southern Africa, the Western Front, and captivity in Germany, illustrating the global reach of the First World War. The fact that he never received pay for his rank adds a poignant detail to his story, underscoring the personal costs and unresolved injustices faced by many soldiers who died far from home.