1 6 ▁– ▁ 3 ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 9 ) ▁was ▁a ▁British ▁army ▁officer , ▁best ▁remembered ▁for ▁his ▁role ▁during ▁the ▁Indones ian ▁Con front ation . ▁ ▁Early ▁Life ▁and ▁training ▁Be cke ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁September ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁in ▁Wor c esters hire , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Brig ad ier ▁John ▁Be cke , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁officers ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁F lying ▁Corps ▁and ▁was ▁educated ▁initially ▁in ▁Scotland ▁then ▁at ▁Char ter house ▁School ▁and ▁the ▁Royal ▁Military ▁College , ▁Sand h urst ▁ ▁Career ▁Be cke ▁was ▁commission ed ▁into ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Battalion ▁of ▁the ▁Sher wood ▁Forest ers ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁the ▁regiment ▁he ▁served ▁with ▁until ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁he ▁served ▁in ▁Palest ine ▁until ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 . ▁Following ▁this ▁he ▁became ▁signals ▁officer ▁in ▁Cy pr us ▁and ▁Egypt ▁and ▁served ▁at ▁Tob ru k ▁until ▁shortly ▁before ▁it ▁fell . ▁He ▁commanded ▁a ▁company ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁batt alion ▁in ▁Ira q , ▁Sy ria ▁and ▁Al ger ia , ▁then ▁land ed ▁in ▁the ▁bitter ▁fighting ▁for ▁the ▁An z io ▁beach head . ▁▁ ▁Be cke ▁then ▁served ▁with ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁Battalion ▁throughout ▁North ▁Africa ▁and ▁Italy , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁sever ely ▁wounded . ▁It ▁was ▁then ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁awarded ▁his