Peter Francis Snell Beer

He had enlisted in the ranks of The Queens Royal Regiment on 15 Jan 1940 and served there until joining an Officer Cadet training Unit on 8 Nov 1940. On gaining his commission he was posted to 2nd Battalion, The Wiltshire Regiment Depot.

He was appointed Scout Section Officer Auxiliary Units on 2 Mar 1941. It seems likely then did Introductory Course for Auxiliary Units in March 1941 (though his personnel file says March 42 which was after the end of his Auxiliary Units service)

He was sent to Blandford and attached to 3 Division for all purposes (i.e. pay, rations, accommodation, etc) 18-24 Mar 1941. The Dorset Regiment Scout Section were based in Blandford and this may have been an attachment with them. He was attached to C Company ITC (Infantry Training Centre) Dorset Regiment in Dorchester on 25 Mar 1941. It is not known where the Wiltshire Regiment Scout Section were based and possibly they were in Dorchester.

Confusingly the next two entries appear to possibly be out of order. He was then posted to 15 ITC (Gloucester) 26 Aug 1941. He was appointed Scout Section Officer GHQ Auxiliary Units on  25 Aug 1941. In July 1941, Bingham's Melcombe House became the Dorset headquarters and base for the Wiltshire Regiment Scout Section. Beer is known to have been there on 25 Aug 1941 as he signed the visitor book on that date. Possibly he was posted away from Auxiliary Units at this time. From the fourth quarter of 1941 he is listed as specially employed in the Army List, which indicates service away from his Regiment. There can be delays in this being updated so this may relate to his Auxiliary Units service. Lieutenant AKT Harris arrived at Bingham's Melcombe to take over the Section on 29 Aug 1941.

Between 8 Oct and 18 Nov 1941 he was at Lochailort for 3rd Commando  Infantry Assault Course. The Auxiliary Units had links with the Commando training school there and a number of Scout Section personnel appear to have been sent on courses.

Lieutenant Beer returned to 4th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment on 5 Feb 1942 and was listed as selected for service in India the following month. His service there is uncertain but it is known that he became seriously unwell. It is thought that he may have taken part in one of the Chindit missions where illness was very common. He certainly became great friends with Ralph Tanner, who wrote about his own experiences with the in "Burma, Memories of a Retreat", describing the retreat of 2nd King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in early 1942.

After an initial period of recovery in India, Lieutenant Beer spent 6 months in hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, recovering from amoebic dysentery, malaria and Tuberculosis . Eventually he would be medically discharged with 100% disability due to Pulmonary TB contracted during his Indian service.

After the war, Ralph Tanner recruited him for work with MI5 in the UK.

Peter Beer died in 1962 from cancer, thought to have been brought on by the deprivations of his wartime service.