Branch of Service

Army

Conflict

World War II (1939-1945)

Date of Enlistment

23/05/1940

Date of Discharge

29/11/1945

Place of Enlistment

Paddington NSW

Gender

Male

Date of Birth

11/05/1918

Place of Birth

Canberra

Address (at enlistment)

Hargraves Crescent, Ainslie ACT

School(s) Attended

Duntroon School, Russell Hill School, Ainslie Public School, Telopea Park High School

Occupation

Electrical mechanic

Next of Kin

James Begent (father), Hargraves Crescent, Ainslie ACT

Service Number

NX16798

Final Rank

Sapper

Final Unit

2/5 Field Company

Ainslie School, Honour Roll in 'The Beacon', the Magazine of Ainslie School 1941

Begent was a third year apprentice electrician when he enlisted in 1940 and brother of James Begent who was killed in action in Syria in 1941. According to Begent (in 'Voices of Old Ainslie) he was born in Hobart in 1919 and not Canberra (as recorded on the nominal roll). Begent served in the Middle East - where he learnt of his brother's death while in Beirut - New Guinea and Borneo. He lived at Higgins Crescent (previously known as Hargraves Crescent) in Ainslie after the war and completed his apprenticeship as an electrician. After that he worked for the ACT Electricity Authority and was awarded the British Empire Medal for his work at Duntroon.

WWII Nominal Roll http://www.ww2roll.gov.au
ACT Electoral Rolls 1916 to 1967 http://canberraheritageportal.org/default.php
Louise Lyon (ed.), 'Voices of Old Ainslie', 1995 (pp. 85-90)
The Canberra Times - 27 January 1941, 14 December 1942