George Rowland Benton
From Our Contribution
 | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 11 Aug 1887 |
| Place of Birth | Cheslyn Hay, South Staffordshire, England |
| Death | 12 Oct 1917 |
| Place of Death | Passchendaele, Belgium |
| Age at Enlistment | 28 years |
| Description |
5'9" (1.75m) tall ; 160lbs 72.575 kg ; fair complexion ; brown eyes ; brown hair |
| Occupation | Miner |
| Religion | Methodist |
| Address | Wittenoom street, Collie, Western Australia |
| Next of Kin | Wife , Mrs Ada Benton |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number | [ 4026] |
| Date of Enlistment | 30 May 1916 |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit/Formation | 32nd Battalion, 10th Reinforcements |
| Date of Embarkation | 28 Oct 1916 ‒ 28 Dec 1916 |
| Ship Embarked On | HMAT A16 Port Melbourne |
| Fate | Killed in actin Passchendaele, Belgium |
| Monument |
Gosnells Road Board Honour Roll Australian War Memorial |
| Medals |
British War Medal Victory Medal |
Contents
Pre War
Aged 22 on his arrival in Australia. George had 3 years previous service with 5th South Staffordshire Territorial Engineers.
War Service
He enlisted in Bunbury and entered Blackboy Hill camp on 30 May 1916. On 21 Jun 1916 he was allocated to the 22nd reinforcement draft for the 11th Battalion, but on 5 Sep 1916 this was changed to the 10th reinforcement draft for the 32nd Battalion, with them embarking on HMAT A16 Port Melbourne soon after for England. On arrival in England on 28 Dec 1916 he was sent to the 8th Training Battalion to prepare for France.
On 28 Feb 1917 George proceeded overseas through Folkestone aboard HMT Golden Eagle. After several days in the base depot he joined the 32nd Battalion on 6 Mar 1917, probably at 'Townsville Camp' as they came out of the line near Longueval that evening having been heavily shelled all day.
On 9 Oct 1917 the 32nd Battalion moved into the front line again opposite Celtic Wood near Zonnebeke. The battalion's War Diary reports nothing unusual in terms of casualties for the 12th of October, although the next day they had 1 less officer and 22 less ORs on strength. It is possible that George's death on 12 Oct 1917 was brought about by enemy shellfire.
George's widow Ada was granted a pension of 40/- ($4) per fortnight from 14 Jan 1918.
Notes
There is nothing in George's records to link him to Gosnells but he is the only likely name match.