Lt G C Binsteed

[Sue Byrne]

I am trying to find out more about an British army officer in the 2nd Battalion, “pompadours’ Essex regiment, called Lt G C Binsteed who was posted at the Curragh around 1910 as a Scouting Intelligence officer. (I got this information from De Rouvigny). Can anyone give me some more information about him or direct me to a place where I can find out more. Thank you

[Matt McNamara]

Hi Sue

Welcome to the forum and your query on Lt G C Binsteed’s time on The Curragh. I would doubt very much that you could find out any further information on this forum for a number of reasons. When the British Forces left The Curragh Camp in 1922, all classified information such as individual’s involved in intelligence work would have been either burned or shredded. In terms of Lt G C Binsteed’s overall Military service I suggest you contact The National Archives in the UK. I have listed the contact details below.

British Military Archives

Postal Address:
The National Archives
Kew,
Richmond,
Surrey,
TW9 4DU

Telephone: [phone]

Web Link: The National Archives www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/britisharmyofficerbefore1913.htm

I do hope this information will help you in your research.

Regards

Matt McNamara

[Palmans Jaak]

Dear Sue

On July 14, 2013, I visited the National Museum of Mongolia in Ulaan Baatar, capital of Mongolia. At that time they had a nice thematic exposition, showing some 100 black-and-white photographs made by lieutenant Gerald Charles Binsteed (1885 - 1915) during his visits in Mongolia. Binsteed visited Mongolia four times between 1912 and 1913.

Binsteed returned to Europe and was killed in action during the first world war at Le Gheer (Belgium) in 1915.

Here is the link for the village Le Gheer in Google Maps:
maps.google.be/?ll=50.732381,2.911463&spn=0.024175,0.054846&t=h&z=14

Next to Le Gheer, you’ll find a big forest. In the centre of this forest, there is a military cemetery. Gerald Charles Binsteed has been buried there. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has information about his grave.
Go to www.cwgc.org/, click on “Find war dead” and type “Binsteed” in the field “Surname”.

Please contact me if you want some more information about Binsteed’s work in Mongolia.

Palmans Jaak
Maaseik, Belgium
[e-mail]

[Patricia]

By chance Sue, I'll be in the area of that cemetery one day in the coming week. If you would like me to look for the grave and pay my respects 'on your behalf'(even some flowers) I should be very pleased to do so. If you would like to have some photographs, just contact. [:[e-mail]"There is no charge. I have done this service many times before. I visit W.W.1. battlefields in many countries and this area I know quite well. Anyone on this forum, wishing to have information can contact me.

[Patricia]

Aug 18, 2013 20:48:14 GMT Patricia said:

By chance Sue, I'll be in the area of that cemetery one day in the coming week. If you would like me to look for the grave and pay my respects 'on your behalf'(even some flowers) I should be very pleased to do so. If you would like to have some photographs, just contact. [:[e-mail]"There is no charge. I have done this service many times before. I visit W.W.1. battlefields in many countries and this area I know quite well. Here is som info to get you started.

Liverpool Annie wrote: "Would you happen to have anything on this young man please?
Major GERALD CHARLES BINSTEED"

Major Gerald Charles Binsteed,MC, Essex Regiment:
Born in Cairo on 7 Aug 1885, the son of Major C H F Binsteed, 1st Madras Lancers
Educated at Wellington College from 1898 to 1903 (Shooting VIII, 1902-03; Prince Consort History Prize; King Edward Sword of Honor)
Gentleman Cadet at RMC, Sandhurst from 1903-05
Commisioned as 2nd Lieut, Essex R, 1905
While serving in Malta won the Subalterns' Half-Mile Race
While at Curragh in 1906 won the One Mile Officers' Race at the All Ireland Athletic Meeting
Lieutenant, Essex R, 1910
1st Class Interpreter of French, 1908; Russian, 1911
Student of Chinese language from 11 December 1911 to 4 May 1914
Appointed as Temp. Captain in November 1914
Served with Essex Regiment in Great War in France from August 1914 to death
Mentioned in French's despatches of 8 October 1914 and 31 May 1915
Permanent Captain, January 1915
Military Cross, London Gazette of 1 Jan 15 (first list of MC recipients)
KIA at Le Gheer on 8 April 1915
 Anyone on this forum, wishing to have information can contact me.

[Patricia]

Aug 19, 2013 16:12:16 GMT Patricia said:

Aug 18, 2013 20:48:14 GMT Patricia said:

By chance Sue, I'll be in the area of that cemetery one day in the coming week. If you would like me to look for the grave and pay my respects 'on your behalf'(even some flowers) I should be very pleased to do so. If you would like to have some photographs, just contact. [e-mail] There is no charge!. I have done this service many times before. I visit W.W.1. battlefields in many countries and this area I know quite well. Here is some info to get you started.

Liverpool Annie wrote: "Would you happen to have anything on this young man please?
Major GERALD CHARLES BINSTEED"

Major Gerald Charles Binsteed,MC, Essex Regiment:
Born in Cairo on 7 Aug 1885, the son of Major C H F Binsteed, 1st Madras Lancers
Educated at Wellington College from 1898 to 1903 (Shooting VIII, 1902-03; Prince Consort History Prize; King Edward Sword of Honor)
Gentleman Cadet at RMC, Sandhurst from 1903-05
Commisioned as 2nd Lieut, Essex R, 1905
While serving in Malta won the Subalterns' Half-Mile Race
While at Curragh in 1906 won the One Mile Officers' Race at the All Ireland Athletic Meeting
Lieutenant, Essex R, 1910
1st Class Interpreter of French, 1908; Russian, 1911
Student of Chinese language from 11 December 1911 to 4 May 1914
Appointed as Temp. Captain in November 1914
Served with Essex Regiment in Great War in France from August 1914 to death
Mentioned in French's despatches of 8 October 1914 and 31 May 1915
Permanent Captain, January 1915
Military Cross, London Gazette of 1 Jan 15 (first list of MC recipients)
KIA at Le Gheer on 8 April 1915
 Anyone on this forum, wishing to have information can contact me.

[Palmans Jaak]

Here’s the information they had on lieutenant Binsteed at the National Museum of Mongolia in Ulaan Baatar:

Gerald Charles Binsteed was born in 1885 into a British military family. Educated at Wellington school and Sandhurst, he became an officer in the Essex Regiment in the British Army in 1905 and then an intelligence officer. An able linguist, he became a 1st Class Interpreter of French. In 1911 he was awarded Extra Regimental Employment to study Russian and later to study Chinese. The Army who sent him for language training, must, therefore, have endorsed his employment beyond the confines of the British Empire.

He became fascinated with Mongolia while he was studying in Russia in 1911 and read many Russian sources. He made his first visit to Urga (*) in 1912. He wanted to write “a work about this little-known country and its people”. During his time in Peking to study Chinese, he made three more visits to Mongolia: to Jehol in May 1913; to Kalgan in June 1913; and to Urga and then to Kiakhta in August 1913.

On his 1913 journey to Mongolia Binsteed took many photographs some of which are shown in this exhibition, and stayed in the Sait Sidjict Gung Hoshun on the Kerulen river that he later wrote about in a paper entitled “Life in a Khalkha Steppe Lamasery”.

After the outbreak of war in 1914 he went to the Front and was killed in action at Le Gheer, Belgium, on 8 April 1915.

With his untimely death, Binsteed never wrote the book on Mongolia he had set his heart on. But his papers, journals and photographs give us a rich insight into a little known period of British Mongolian relations as well as life in Mongolia at a critical period in its history.

“Lieutenant Binsteed” has passed some time at Urga, and has acquired a knowledge of Mongolian affairs, which is altogether remarkable”. Head of British Legation at Peking, 1911.

(*) Urga = Ulaan Baatar, capital of Mongolia

[andybrennan]

Hi great stuff on the said LT Binsteed this forum is reaching places newer daily.

Andy

[Patricia]

Aug 24, 2013 22:25:47 GMT andybrennan said:

Hi great stuff on the said LT Binsteed this forum is reaching places newer daily.

Andy

Major, Gerald Charles BINSTEED 08/04/1015 Age 30. Essex Regiment. United Kingdom. R.I.P.

Here in this tiny ‘Calvaire (Essex) Military Cemetery’ is the last resting place of a remarkable young man. We can only speculate, as to where his career might have taken him. Every cemetery has its own stories and each grave, its personal history. Keeping Gerald Charles company here, we find (i.e.) Arthur Hugh Percy (Captain). ‘His father was A.D.C. to Queen Victoria. Robert Laurence Pillman. He played international rugby (Eng; V France in 1914. Then there is Sergeant Frank Collins (39yrs) who died on Christmas day 1914. Lance Corporal Dance. He died on the 24/06/1916 Age (22yrs) one of four brothers who served during the Great War. In this cemetery, you will find the graves of Rifleman John Frances Saunders/ Private John Seaman/ and Arthur William Day. (All three were just 16 years old).


Since August 2009, up until my visit on the 22nd of August 2013. There have been just 75 visitors here. It could probably explain why this cemetery, is less well cared for than most. In this area there are many huge cemeteries representing many nationalities, this little one is off the tourist track but none the less important. It is unique in the sense. All the graves ‘are known!’ Every headstone has a name etc. and the age difference ranges from 16years up to Sergeant B.J. Brand, who was 42years of age when he was killed on the 26th/September 1915. He had survived the South African Champagne.

There were two photographs with this text. Don't know why you don't get to see them? Sue come back on this page again to arrange to have your photographs (i.e.) a email address.

[andybrennan]

Hi Patricia / Sue re the photo's that were attached if you mail them to Matt he as administrator will post them for you.
Would like to have a peek mysely

[Sue Byrne]

Dear Everyone
I have only just seen all this wonderful correspondence about Lt G C Binsteed.
Paalmans Jaak so pleased to hear you went to the exhibition in Ulaanbaatar in 2013. I put that on with a Mongolian historian I am working with. We have already had the exhibition - 100 years since he traveled in Mongolia - and published a Mongolian translation of Life in a Khalkha Steppe Lamasery. We are now going to publish Binsteed's journals and all the many papers he wrote about his travels in Mongolia along with around 100 of the over 200 he took in Mongolia. He wrote several reports for the British Legation at Peking and these were sent to the Foreign Office.
Today is especially poignant because it is the 100th Anniversary of his death. I went to the Essex Regiment Chapel in Warley to pay my respects and leave some flowers for him.
Patricia - I wish I had seen your posts before because I would have asked you to put flowers on his grave in Le Gheer today - maybe we can still do it.
I have much more information about him if anyone is interested! And am happy to send some of his photographs.
Andy - who is Matt if I want to send some photographs.
Hope to hear from you - even after this long time.
Sue
My email is [e-mail]