Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare Baltic 1919 operations 4th Class Cross of St. George group of seven awarded to Colour-Sergeant T. E. Beecham, Royal Marines

1914-15 Star (PO. 12340 Sgt., R.M.L.I.); British War and Victory Medals (PO. 12340 Sgt., R.M.L.I.); Defence and War Medals; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (PO. 12340 Sergeant, R.M.L.I.); Russian Cross of St. George, 4th class, the reverse officially numbered ‘870284’, the second with officially re-impressed naming, very fine and better (7) £400-500

Thomas Edwin Beecham was born in the parish of Old Ford, London in March 1884 and enlisted in the Royal Marines as a Private in May 1902. Enjoying several seagoing appointments and rapid advancement to Lance-Sergeant, he was serving aboard the battleship H.M.S. Venerable by the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914; and he remained similarly employed until November 1916, thereby participating in her operations off the Belgian Coast 1914-15 and afterwards in the Dardanelles 1915. He was advanced to Sergeant in January of the latter year.

Following a period ashore with the Portsmouth Division, Beecham was next appointed to the cruiser Caradoc, in which ship he served from April 1918 until March 1921. During this period the Caradoc was employed in the Baltic operations of 1919 and participated in a prolonged and successful bombardment of Bolshevik forces in Estonia, operations that no doubt contributed to Beecham being awarded his Russian Cross of St. George, 4th class - an award verified by his service record.

Beecham was also recommended for the M.S.M. with annuity at the time of his discharge in May 1923, but did not live long enough to receive the same, dying in October 1950. He had, in the interim, served in the Royal Fleet Reserve and in the Royal Marines Police, transferring to the Plymouth branch of the latter corps in April 1936.