New Hampshire WWI Military: Private Ray W. Beadle of Manchester NH (1897-1919)

Photograph of Ray Beadle from the Boston Post newspaper of 1918.

Ray Wellington Beadle was born on 26 March 1897 in Manchester, New Hampshire, son of Charles S. & Abbie A. (Oslington) Beadle. When he filled out his War Registration form on 5 June 1917, he was living at 282 Central Street in Manchester.  He had siblings, Hazel and Howard. Charles/Charlie and Edith.

Ray had been working as a mill operative for the Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. He had previously lived in Sandown NH for a few years.

On this same form Ray describes himself as single, medium height, slender with blue eyes and light hair. He indicates he had experience for 2 months as a private in the NH artillery.

Postcard showing a medical tent during WWI.

We know that Ray W. Beadle served as a private in Battery D., 103rd Regiment, 26th Division, 51st Brigade A.E.F., and that is inscribed on his tombstone. He had been wounded in France, before October 13, 1918 as there was a notice in the Boston Sunday Globe on that date.  He managed to survive to be transported home by ship, arriving at Camp Dix, New Jersey. There he died from a combination of emphysema-pneumonia and gunshot wounds on 14 January 1919.

His body was transported home, and he was buried in the family plot at Pine Grove Cemetery, Manchester, New Hampshire, where he has a tombstone indicating his military service. He is listed on the Honor Roll in Doric Hall of the New Hampshire State House in Concord, NH.

For additional stories of Manchester NH military in World War I, see: New Hampshire WWI Military: Heroes of Manchester.

[Editor’s Note: this story is part of an on-going series about heroic New Hampshire men and women of World War I.  Look here for the entire listing].