Jozef Beckers
November 10, 2019
During my research about the Belgian soldiers that died during the Battle of the Silver Helmets in Halen, I found a link where you can claim to be the sponsor of a grave of a repatriated Belgian soldier of the Great War. I immediately dropped my eye on one of two soldiers buried at the communal cemetery of Diest, the town where I work. I requested to be the sponsor of the grave of private Jozef Beckers from Diest. This is his story. |
Before the war
Jozef was born on December 23, 1887 in Diest in the province of Brabant (now Flemish-Brabant) in Belgium. His parents were François Louis and Constantina Fabes.
 Flemish-Brabant, Belgium |
 Diest, Flemish-Brabant |
Before Jozef went to war, he worked as a mailman in Diest.
In the army
Jozef entered service on August 4, 1914, the day the Germans invaded Belgium.From the beginning of November 1917, Jozef and the Carabiniers of the 3rd Regiment were on trench duty in the Nieuwkapeller sector. They did reconaissance duties on the eastern bank of the Yser to scout the terrain en the strength of the enemy. Just before Christmas another resting period started until the beginning of February 1918, in the region of Izenberge.
At the beginning of February the 3rd Carabiniers pulled out to Wulveringem and De Panne to keep watch on the front lines in the Nieuwpoort sector. This was a very deadly sector. The floodgating locks were being shot by powerful German artillery. The German lines were very close and sometimes they even used gas bombs.
He got injured during battle in Nieuwpoort on March 18, 1918. He was taken to the Hotel L'Océan in De Panne which served as a hospital. He died of his wounds here one day later.
Hotel L'Océan, De Panne, Belgium |
Death of Jozef Beckers
Jozef Beckers died of wounds on March 19, 1918 in the field hospital L'Océan in De Panne in Belgium. Jozef Beckers suffered from grenade splinters in his chest. Originally he was buried at the Belgian Military Cemetery in De Panne, but a few years later his body was repatriated to be reburied in his hometown of Diest.
Belgian Military Cemetery De Panne, Belgium |
Communal cemetery Diest, Belgium |
3rd Regiment Carabiniers
3rd Regiment Carabiniers |
10th Company |
Private |
All information may be sent to nicklieten at hotmail.com.
Contact
No relatives found yet.Personal information
Private, Belgian ArmyService # 133/1523
3rd Regiment Carabiniers, 10th Company
Entered service in Diest on August 4, 1914
Born: December 23, 1887 in Diest, Flemish-Brabant
Hometown: Diest, Flemish-Brabant
Died: March 19, 1918 in De Panne
Status: died of wounds (DOW)
Buried: Communal cemetery Diest, Flemish-Brabant, Belgium
Awards: /
Family
Wife: ?
Father: François Louis (?-?)
Mother: Constantina Fabes (?-?)
Brother(s): ?
Sister(s): ?
More pictures
Jozef Beckers
Grave
Krantenartikels
Memorials
Sources
WarDeadRegister.be
www.findagrave.com
Rudy Kenis
Any information you can provide me about this soldier, can be mailed to me (nicklieten at hotmail.com). Thank you!