Francis Walter Roy Beacham was born in Ballarat and was a Boilermaker by trade when he enlisted in the 2nd Field Company Engineers, Reinforcement 14 on 9 July 1915 at the age of 22. His unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A54 Runic on 20 January 1916. He was transferred to the 5th Pioneer Battalion but much of 1916 and 1917 involved hospitalisation in England due to illness, particularly a ventral hernia. He rejoined his unit in late 1917 and served through until the end of hostilities. He sailed from England in early June 1919 aboard the Beltana, and disembarked at Melbourne on July 19th.
Tree No 3642