Identity
Person No.
1366
Service No.
11274
Last Name
First Name
Trevor Leslie
Initials
T L
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
26
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
KIA 14,780
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action, when an enemy shell landed on the 14 Platoon kitchen dugout in the vicinity of Tobruk/El Gazala
Military Service
Location
Country
Locality
Unknown
Grave Reference
Coordinates
Unit History
Role at time of death
Mounted Rifles, later Armoured Reconnaissance
Status
Volunteer unit (pre-1913); Active Citizen Force (Reserve) from 1913
Part of
Lineage from the Royal Durban Rangers (1854) through several volunteer mounted units, unified as Natal Mounted Rifles 1888. Reactivated for the Boer War as Natal Mounted Infantry. Transferred to the Active Citizen Force 1913; converted from cavalry to armoured reconnaissance 1934. Renamed Queen Nandi Mounted Rifles 2019.
Notes
Son of John Beal and Janet Ferguson Preston, of "Exwell Park" district, Cathcart, Cape Province. Born in East London. Educated at St. Andrew's College, Grahamstown. At College 1931-1932, mined at Brakpan before farming at Komgha. On Cathcart War Memorial.
Citations
Unknown
External References
Stories 1
Tim (Trevor Leslie) was as far as I remember a member of the First City Regiment. ( attached to St Andrews College Grahamstown) He was killed in the desert during WWII.
Tim as he was known was engaged to my Mother; Rhona Olive Willoughby-Frye ( she served in the South African Signals) . He was her first love and was killed . She was devastated!
(My Dad Sub Lt E D Cocks saw service with the Royal Navy. He was awarded the Atlantic Star, Indian Star and Burma Star plus the African Star and WWII medals)
My younger sister is named after Tim , Lesley. We knew Tim as he was never forgotten by my Mom❤️ She spoke about him often. All his letters from the front were tired up with a red ribbon. She did read parts of the letters to us ( I am one of7!) I unfortunately thought I did the right thing and burnt his letters and sprinkled the ashes on her grave . We never handled his letters. I remember there was censorship. Because she never let us read everything I ( I was an executor of her will) made that decision to destroy history but I felt I honoured her’s and Tim’s love for each other ? A beautiful story!
In the latter years his great nephew was friendly with Rhona’s grandchildren whilst at school in Grahamstown!
Thank you for this opportunity.
Tim as he was known was engaged to my Mother; Rhona Olive Willoughby-Frye ( she served in the South African Signals) . He was her first love and was killed . She was devastated!
(My Dad Sub Lt E D Cocks saw service with the Royal Navy. He was awarded the Atlantic Star, Indian Star and Burma Star plus the African Star and WWII medals)
My younger sister is named after Tim , Lesley. We knew Tim as he was never forgotten by my Mom❤️ She spoke about him often. All his letters from the front were tired up with a red ribbon. She did read parts of the letters to us ( I am one of7!) I unfortunately thought I did the right thing and burnt his letters and sprinkled the ashes on her grave . We never handled his letters. I remember there was censorship. Because she never let us read everything I ( I was an executor of her will) made that decision to destroy history but I felt I honoured her’s and Tim’s love for each other ? A beautiful story!
In the latter years his great nephew was friendly with Rhona’s grandchildren whilst at school in Grahamstown!
Thank you for this opportunity.
Dedications
No dedications have been added yet.