Gordon Edgar (George) Bennett
From Our Contribution
Personal Information | |
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Date of Birth | c1888 |
Place of Birth | New Barking, Essex, England |
Death | 31 Aug 1980, aged 92 |
Place of Death | Bicton, Western Australia |
Age at Enlistment | 27 year, 7 months |
Description |
5' 2½" (1.59m) tall ; 123 lbs 55.792 kg ; tanned complexion complexion ; brown eyes ; brown hair |
Occupation | Labourer |
Religion | Church of England |
Address | Beenup, Western Australia |
Next of Kin | Mother , Mrs Elizabeth Bennett |
Military Information | |
Reg Number | 4674 |
Date of Enlistment | 22 Feb 1916 |
Rank | Private |
Unit/Formation | 28th Battalion, 12th Reinforcement, B Company / 7th Brigade, 2nd Division |
Date of Embarkation | 17 Apr 1916 ‒ 14 May 1916 |
Ship Embarked On | HMAT A60 Aeneas |
Date of Return | 12 Dec 1918 ‒ 18 Jan 1919 |
Ship Returned On | HMAT A71 Nestor |
Fate |
Wounded in Action 30 May 1918 Mourlancourt area Returned to Australia |
Monument |
Armadale War Memorial (Beenup panel) Armadale and Districts Roll of Honour |
Medals |
British War Medal Victory Medal |
War Service
First applied to enter the AIF on 2 Aug 1915, but it was not until 22 Feb 1916 that he did so. Six weeks after entering Blackboy Hill camp, Gordon was allocated to the 12th reinforcement draft for the 28th Battalion.
On arrival in England he was sent to the 7th Training Battalion in Rollestone, before proceeding overseas to France on 9 Sep 1916. After a fortnight in the Base Depot he joined his unit at Steenvoorde in Belgium on 24 Sep 1916.
Taken ill on 20 Nov 1916, he was hospitalised until 1 Dec 1916 when he rejoined the battalion. On 13 Dec 1916 he again required medical attention for n unidentified infection and on 17 Dec 1916 he was seen by the St John's Ambulance Brigade Hospital in Étaples before being passed to the 6th Convalescent Depot where he remained until 17 Jan 1917. Gordon was then transferred to the 5th Convalescent Depot until 17 Feb 1917 he was well enough to return to duty. On 28 Feb 1917 he rejoined the 28th Battalion in the front line near Flers where they were manning a line of outposts.
On 29 Jun 1917 Gordon again sought medical help, first from the 5th Australian Field Ambulance who passed him on the next day to the 56th Casualty Clearing Station. On 4 Jul 1917 he was placed aboard an Ambulance train for the 16th General Hospital in Le Tréport where he remained until 10 Aug 1917. The next day he embarked on HMHS St George for England where he was admitted to the Norfolk War Hospital on 11 Aug 1917 with Trench Fever (slight). Released to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital on 23 Aug 1917, he was released to duty at Weymouth on 24 Sep 1917, and later to the Overseas Training Brigade at Longford Deverill where on 31 Jan 1918 he was charged with being AWOL from 27 - 28 Jan 1918. Guilty, he was admonished and forfeited a day's pay. Gordon proceeded overseas again via Southampton on 7 Feb 1918, and rejoined his unit at Le Waast in northern France on 13 Feb 1918.
Gordon was wounded on 1 Jun 1918 as his battalion was being withdrawn from the front lines, and he may have been another victim of the enemy aircraft that dropped two bombs on B Company. Treated at the 5th Australian Field Ambulance, he was passed to the 61st Casualty Clearing Station before being placed on an Ambulance Train on 2 Jun 1918 for the 13th General Hospital in Boulogne. On 7 Jun 1918 he was invalided to England and again admitted to the Norwich War Hospital, this time with a wound to his left arm that fractured his Humerus. He was released to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital on 17 Jul 1918. Released to duty on 10 Oct 1918, he was sent to the 2nd Command Depot in Weymouth to build strength and for early return to Australia as the war was in its final stages.
Gordon was discharged by the 5th Military District on 4 Mar 1919.
413th Casualty List. NOK ..WOUNDED... Bennett, Gordon Edgar (England).[1]
Gordon is mentioned in the 1917 Feb-Mar edition of Drill of the Foot-Hills held in the Birtwistle Local Studies Library.
Post War
In 1950 Gordon was in receipt of a War Pension of £1-2-0 ($2.20) per fortnight.
Electoral Roll entries include - 1925 bootmaker at 21 Wolseley Gardens, East Fremantle; 1931 bootmaker at 21 Queen Victoria street, Fremantle ; 1936- 1972 newsagent at 11 Wolseley road, East Fremantle.
At the time of his death, he was living in Bristol Ave, Bicton.
Notes
AIF website, based on embarkation details, credits Beenup as place of residence.
References
- ↑ "WESTERN AUSTRALIA.". The West Australian. XXXIV, (5,067). Western Australia. 2 July 1918. p. 5. Retrieved 18 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.