William Bees

William Dolman Bees
Born	12 September 1871 Midsomer Norton, Somerset
Died	20 June 1938 (aged 66) Coalville, Leicestershire
Buried at	London Road Cemetery, Coalville
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1890 - 1902, 1915 - 1919
Rank	Corporal
Unit	Derbyshire Regiment
Battles/wars	Tirah Campaign Second Boer War World War I
Awards	Victoria Cross

William Dolman Bees VC (12 September 1871 – 20 June 1938) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Born in Midsomer Norton, Somerset he was 29 years old, and a private in the 1st Battalion, The Derbyshire Regiment (later The Sherwood Foresters), British Army during the Second Boer War when the following deed took place on 30 September 1901 at Moedwil, South Africa for which he was awarded the VC:

Private Bees was one of the Maxim-gun detachment, which at Moedwil, on the 30th September, 1901, had six men hit out of nine. Hearing his wounded comrades asking for water, he went forward, under a heavy fire, to a spruit held by Boers about 500 yards ahead of the gun, and brought back a kettle full of water. In going and returning he had to pass within 100 yards of some rocks also held by Boers, and the kettle which he was carrying was hit by several bullets.^[1]

He later achieved the rank of corporal. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Sherwood Foresters Museum at Nottingham Castle, England.^[2]

References

1. The London Gazette: no. 27388. p. 8915. 17 December 1901.
2. http://www.wfrmuseum.org.uk/vcwinners.htm

• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• Victoria Crosses of the Anglo-Boer War (Ian Uys, 2000)

External links

• Location of grave and VC medal (Leicestershire)
• VictoriaCross.net
• Anglo-Boer War