Major Becke wrote the book :-
"The Royal Artillery at Le Cateau 26th August 1914 "
In it, he mentions that he had the Honour to serve as the first Battery Commander of 135 Battery.
I will be researching this further !! as it is not mentioned in his obituary.
The following is a brief summary of his Obituary in the "Gunner Magazine " December 1947
Kindly written by Lt Col Alfred H Burne DSO Editor.
Archibald Frank Becke, was born in India on 22nd September 1871, the son of John Becke, an officer of the Indian Army. His father died soon afterterwards and young Becke came home and was educated at Westward Ho School, where Rudyard Kipling was a fellow student.
He was commissioned into the Militia on 1st February 1890, he obtained a regular commission in the Royal Artillery in 1st February 1892.
In February he was posted to the 38th Battery where he remained till 1898 (total of 6 years)
He then commanded as a Subaltern the only
Artillery unit in the Sierra Leone Campaign of
1898-1899
The History of the Royal Artillery said of him " The Artillery under Lieut A.F Becke consisted of a 7Pdr and a maxim manned by the native Battery from Sierra Leone with a Corporal from a British Battery to assist him.
The 7Pdr had lost its sights but a wooden one made by him (and carried in his pocket) served its purpose. Witness is borne to the seriousness of some of the fighting by the fact that, at the end of one encounter, there were only six rounds left for the 7 Pdr and one box for the maxim;;;;
Becke served in the Boer War, where he contacted "enteric " and was invalided home.
He then became Adjutant of the Warwickshire R.G.A till 1905, retiring next year as a Captain owing to Ill health.
In 1917 he was appointed to the Historical Section (Military Branch) of the committee of Imperial Defence.
Sir JAMES EDMONDS wrote the following;;
I met him first at North Camp Aldershot in 1896, he was a first class horseman, he won a large number of steeplechases and rumor credits him with winning four races in one day.
With his proceeds he purchased a Gold watch on which is inscribed the names of his mounts.
He owned trained and rode his own mount in the RA Gold Cup in 1898 whilst still a subaltern in 38th Battery. It is typical of his absence of advertisement that he rode under the name of
"Mr Vanua Lave" and the name of of his Gold Cup Winner is given as "No Name!"
For information :-
38th Battery went onto become 94 New Zealand Battery and is still serving with 4th Regiment in Topcliffe Thirsk.