In early May 1918, the 13th Battalion, the Rifle Brigade, were at Bucquoy, a French village south of Arras in the Pas-de-Calais region. On May 8, it was decided that two companies should carry out an assault on the enemy in the vicinity, with Private William Beesley in the left assault company. No covering artillery fire had been organised for the daring daylight raid and the troops immediately became the target of heavy gunfire but the battalion was to lose more than 100 men that day.

Private Beesley, was in the leading wave of his company’s attack. Enemy fire quickly took the lives of his platoon sergeant and all the section commanders so Beesley took command. Armed with just a revolver, he single-handedly rushed a machine-gun post, killing two of the enemy and then dispatching a third who attempted to take their place. When three more Germans appeared from a dug-out, he called on them to surrender. He shot one of them to stop him from destroying a map. Following the arrival of a comrade with a Lewis gun, Beesley used this with great effect against the enemy, and the two men held onto their position for four hours under heavy gunfire.

During a counter-attacked by the Germans, the other soldier was wounded but Beesley carried on alone. It was largely due to his actions that the remainder of the company were able to withdraw without further loss. Eventually, under the cover of darkness, Beesley helped his wounded colleague back to base, along with the Lewis gun.

For his actions, Beesley was awarded the Victoria Cross.

He achieved the rank of sergeant and after demobilization in 1919 he returned to coal mining. He served in the Royal Artillery as an instructor at the beginning of World War II. In 1996, aged 70, he died while on holiday.