W. N. T. Beckett

Beckett served as Sub-Lieutenant in the destroyer HMS Legion, of Commodore Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt's Harwich Force, and took part in the Battle of Heligoland Bight and the Battle of Dogger Bank. It was about this time he brought out a pamphlet, subsequently published by the Admiralty, 'Questions in Dutch and German for Boarding Officers'. When HMS Amphion, the first Royal Naval ship to be sunk during the First World War,[1] was going down, Beckett was aboard searching for survivors, and became the hero of a tale often told. Amphion blew up and Beckett found himself sailing through the air amongst a cloud of bric-a-brac, and amongst it was the wardroom clock, of which Beckett observed the time as he tumbled through the air and into the sea.

During his time on Legion, Beckett developed a reputation as an excellent seaman, and a practitioner of fine nautical skills and knot-work. These skills and his attention to detail became legendary in the Service, and many shoddy jobs were discarded with the words, "That would never do for Joe Beckett".

While Beckett was serving with the Harwich Force, he was befriended by the renowned English author Rudyard Kipling, and was invited to his home Bateman's, in East Sussex. Kipling was very interested in the Royal Navy, and used Beckett as a source of information for his 1916 naval classic, "Sea Warfare". In one of Kipling's letters, he colourfully describes his meeting with Lieutenant Beckett, and states "he held us breathless or weak with laughter".[2] Beckett also enjoyed their meeting, and went on the visit Bateman's again. He found they had various common interests, including a connection to India, where both men had been born. Kipling had previously based the character Findlayson, the hero of his story The Bridge Builders on Beckett's great uncle, the well known Indian bridge-builder Frederick Thomas Granville Walton.[3]

From April 1916 until the end of World War I, Beckett was employed in Coastal Motor Boats (CMB's), with a group of bright young officers known as the 'Suicide Club'.

In May 1916, Beckett took command of the newly built HM Coastal Motor Boat 4, designed by Sir John Thornycroft. CMB No. 4 was one of a series of small, shallow draft vessels used during World War I. Operated by a crew of three, it was capable of 24.8 knots (28.5 mph; 45.9 km/h). The main armament was a single 18-inch (457 mm) torpedo in a trough abaft the cockpit (from which it was launched tail-first over the stern by a cordite-powered ram). It also had four .303 in Lewis machine guns.

While in command of CMB No. 4, Beckett carried out duties of CMB Flotilla Signal Officer, and he trained personnel and conducted smoke trials and experiments. In August 1916, he took command of 3rd Division CMB Flotilla. In December 1916, he proceeded to Dunkirk in charge of the 3rd CMB Division, and operated on the Belgian coast. He organised a temporary base and established liaison with French naval authorities and with the air force. Beckett was in command of a Divisional CMB attack on German destroyers at Zeebrugge on 7 April 1917, as a result one was sunk and one very seriously damaged. For these actions Beckett was Mentioned in Despatches and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC).

In May 1917, Beckett was appointed in command of CMB No. 14, the first of a larger-type CMB carrying four depth charges in addition to a torpedo: these boats were 55 feet (17 m) long, longer than the forty-foot original type. In July 1917, Beckett was ordered to Portsmouth to form an anti-submarine CMB base there, and command the Portsmouth CMB Flotilla on anti-submarine and convoy duties. He stayed at that post until September 1918, when he was transferred to CMB Base Osea Island, where he was in charge of half 2nd CMB flotilla. During this time he wrote the CMB Signal Table for the Admiralty. He continued in that position until after the Armistice on 11 November 1918.

From May to November 1919, Beckett volunteered for "Special Service" on a dangerous secret mission in North Russia using CMBs. The Bolsheviks were attacking the White Russians and Beckett was sent as Second-in-Command of CMB Flotilla – Dwina River Force, under Commander-in-Chief Admiral Sir John Green, with whom he began a long friendship. Beckett was in command of CMB No. 28A. During this time he worked with the military (on land), as a Lewis Gun Officer, and on mine clearance duties on the river. He was left in charge to destroy materiel at their up-river base at Troitsa, and to cover the retirement of military forces.

September 1924, Beckett was appointed in command of the destroyer HMS Vendetta, in the Mediterranean Sea, under Commander-in-Chief Admiral Sir Roger Keyes. In October 1924, HMS Vendetta proceeded to the Red Sea and Beckett acted as Senior Naval Officer (SNO) at Jeddah during operations between Ibn Saud and Emir Ali, to safeguard British interests and property. Beckett was then ordered to Port Sudan, to take charge as SNO and to arrange the evacuation of the Egyptian Army from Khartoum, after the assassination of Sir Lee Oliver Stack, the British Governor-General of Sudan and Egyptian army commander.

Lt.Cdr. Beckett & King George V aboard HMS Vendetta, April 1925

Beckett had one of his most pleasant duties in March and April 1925, when HMS Vendetta and another destroyer were chosen to accompany the Royal Yacht on a cruise of the Mediterranean. The purpose of the cruise was for King George V to recuperate after a period of serious illness. The King was joined by Queen Mary, Prince George, Duke of Kent, Princess Victoria and their party. During the cruise Beckett had the opportunity to spend time with the Royal family, and upon the completion of their cruise, King George V presented Beckett with a Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) for the services he had given during their most enjoyable cruise. See accompanying photo taken by Princess Victoria, of Beckett with King George V aboard HMS Vendetta during the cruise.

On 14 April 1927, he was appointed in command of HMS Velox in the Atlantic Fleet. During this period Beckett began to court Gladys Hemery Lindon, an heiress of an old Welsh family, the Edwardes of Rhyd-y-gors. In 1928 they wed, and were deeply in love. He always referred to her as his 'Snowdrop'. They settled at her home, St Regulus, near Southampton, and soon after Beckett was made a commander. On 21 February 1935 their daughter Rosemary Caroline Rowan Beckett was born.

In 1936, Beckett was selected by the Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, Admiral Sir John Kelly GCVO, KCB for an unusual task. Beckett had served under Sir John Kelly in the past, and the two were on very good terms. After the death of King George V, King Edward VIII asked Sir John Kelly to organise the scuttling of HMY Britannia, as it was King George V's dying wish. Kelly felt there was no better man for the job than Beckett, who had been made a Captain by this stage, and was in command of the destroyer HMS Winchester. On 10 July 1936, Winchester towed the stripped hull of the Royal Yacht out past the Isle of Wight to St Catherine's Deep, and in the presence of Sir Philip Hunloke, who had so often sailed Britannia for the King during her racing career, Britannia was scuttled by Captain Beckett.