Branch of Service

Army

Conflict

World War II (1939-1945)

Date of Enlistment

23/05/1940

Date of Discharge

11/10/1945

Place of Enlistment

Paddington NSW

Gender

Male

Other Name(s)

Known as 'Jack'

Date of Birth

05/05/1910

Place of Birth

Inverell NSW

Address (at enlistment)

Bougainville Street, Griffith ACT

Occupation

Labourer (truck driver)

Next of Kin

Ruth Beadman (wife), Bougainville Street, Griffith ACT

Service Number

NX20933

Final Rank

Lance Corporal

Final Unit

2/13 Australian Infantry Battalion

At the time of enlistment Beadman gave his address as '7 The Arcade, Manuka'. He embarked from Sydney on 19 October 1940, arriving in the Middle East towards the end of November. Beadman's unit, the 2/13 Battalion, was the first Australian unit to confront the Germans, at Er Regima in Libya in April 1941. They then moved to Tobruk and stayed there during the eight month siege until they were evacuated in December 1941; Beadman was a 'Rat of Tobruk'. Due to illness and injury he served much of the remainder of the war with postal units in the Middle East and New Guinea.

The AWM image shows Beadman in Jerusalem circa 1941. Jack Beadman died on 4 June 1978 and is buried in the ex-servicemen's portion of Woden Cemetery.

WWII Nominal Roll http://www.ww2roll.gov.au
ACT Electoral Rolls 1916 to 1967 http://canberraheritageportal.org/default.php
AWM Collection Record : P04872.004
AWM Unit histories http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_11264.asp
NAA RecordSearch
Canberra Public Cemeteries http://www.canberracemeteries.com.au/cem_gravesearch.asp
The Canberra Times - 27 January 1941