912 Pte Raymond Benson MM MiD CC
4th Battalion AIF
by Robert Simpson
According to his Attestation Form, Raymond Benson joined up on 1st September 1914, No. 912 4th Battalion 1st Infantry Brigade and was appointed to F Company, by his commanding officer, who was later killed at Gallipoli. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire is stated as his place of birth and his age of 29 means he was born in 1885. His previous occupation was that of a grocer and he worked for 5 years at the Gloucester Co-op Society. Stating he was unmarried, he gives his Next of Kin as (cousin) Albert Brown “Brignall” Eastbourne Rd. Middlesborough. Raymond states he had previous service in the Territorials for 3 years as a Private and his term had expired. These forms are copies of the originals, which seem to have gone missing, and interestingly enough the form is signed Raymond Brown. The second page is signed Raymond Benson. His term of service was from 1st September 1914 and up to 4 months after peace.
He is described as 5”6’ in height, weight 11st 8lb, chest measurement of 35 – 39 inches, complexion medium, eyes grey, and hair dark. His Religious Denomination is noted as Church of England, there were no distinctive marks and he was fit for active service. His attesting officer was Major Macnaghten and his commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel A Thompson who was killed on 26th April 1915
At Sydney, on 20th October 1914, he embarked on HMAT Euripides (A14) and his address on the embarkation roll was 23 Regent St Sydney. His rate of pay was 5 shillings a day. He embarked on HT Lake Michigan at Alexandria on 5th April 1915 to join M.E.F and landed at Gallipoli on 25th April 1915. The battalion was part of the second and third waves.
“On the night of 26th April 1915 At Gallipoli, this man carried 1,000 rounds over open ground to the Machine Gun Section and also kept two Companies supplied with ammunition for 24 hours this materially helping to save a critical situation”. He was awarded a Military Medal for this effort and this was promulgated in the London Gazette on 27th October 1916.
He also received a Mention in Despatches from General Sir Ian Hamilton dated 22nd September 1915 “for gallant and distinguished services in the Field”. The particulars were “for gallant conduct in running messages and carrying provisions to firing line under fire (Reported by Major Storey, Capt Scott, Capt Clayton and Lieut Massie)”. The certificate was signed by Winston Churchill and promulgated in the London Gazette on 5th November 1915.
A Corps Complimentary was also published with his name included on 29th June 1915 “which have been brought to his (the Army Corps Commander) notice for having performed various acts of conspicuous gallantry or valuable service during the period from 25th April to 5th May 1915”. This was promulgated in Australian Military Orders No. 570 of 1915.
On 18th May 1915 a hand grenade exploded near his right shoulder and he was taken to H.S. Sicilia and operated on under anesthetic to remove several small pieces of shrapnel. He was taken to No. 1 Australian Stationary Hospital at Lemnos on 21st May 1915. He stayed there and it was also noted on 1st June that he had struck his knee on a rock about a month before and the knee swelled up, but he was able to continue his work, but he limped. On the 7th it was noted that the wounds were not healing up and no improvement in his shoulder movement. An x-ray was one on the 11th which showed more fragments and a bullet in his deltoid muscle. While in hospital he had a normal diet with some lime juice. On 14th June, he is noted as “dangerously ill” and he was operated on under anesthetic to remove the pieces. By the 21st he was taken off the dangerously ill list and the wounds were looking well, but the knee was not improved, and he embarked for Egypt.
He was admitted to No. 2 Australian General Hospital on 26th June 1915 and was transferred to Ras-el-tin C. Depot. On 26th September 1915, he was admitted at the Australian Overseas Base at Alexandria from Ras-el-tin Convalescent Hospital. He was still there on 10th November 1915 when he was diagnosed with malaria and on the 13th he was invalided to Australia. At the Australian Intermediate base at Suez on 15th he embarked to Australia per H. T. “Borda” for discharge, with malaria being the reason given and rheumatism is also mentioned on his service forms. He disembarked in Melbourne on 13th December 1915.
After arriving back in Australia, he seems to vanish for a while as there is correspondence from various people to the Defence Department enquiring of his whereabouts. On the 23rd December 1916, Mrs. C. Curry of 23 Regent St Sydney asks of his whereabouts, as she has his clothes and is about to shift, so presumably he boarded with her before the war. Miss Eva Bevin of High St. Penrith, writes on 16th February, also asking of his address as she has written to several places looking for him. She also notes him going to Melbourne for special treatment on 13th January. Both are referred to the Staff Officer for Returned Soldiers at Victoria Barracks, Paddington, New South Wales to help them. There are two letters and replies so she must have wanted to find him badly.
A letter from Mr. H. Rogers of 61 Raneleigh Rd. Blakenhall, Wolverhampton says that he “has been informed to write” about Raymond Benson, but unfortunately the second page of the letter is not on file. The reply from Base Records gives information of his return and why and that he was been paid a pension to 171 George St Sydney, but his whereabouts were unknown. It also states “He enlisted as a single man, and there is no record to date of his discharge of his having since been married”.
There is correspondence to his nephew, Albert Brown, at the above address for his Military Medal, his Mention in Despatches and Corps Complimentary, giving some details of the awards and where they were published. Raymond signs for the Mention in Despatches on 26th October 1921, and this is the only document with his signature.
The most telling piece of correspondence is a letter from a Mr. T. H. Robson of “Glen Dougall” Prestbury Rd, Cheltenham, England which states “His Mother and Brother is anxiously waiting a reply not having heard of him for several years”. The reply from Base Records is the same, referring them to the above address.
Doing a search of births in Cheltenham around his stated birth year yields no result, but a search using Robson does, with a Raymond Bertie Robson being born in the May quarter of 1883. The 1891 and 1901 census show him to still be living there with his brothers, William C and Thomas H Robson. They were the sons of John and Mary Elizabeth Robson. The 1901 census also shows his Father was deceased (died in September quarter 1894) and he was just living with his Mother, who is noted as a Widower. He is also listed as a Grocer’s Assistant. In the 1911 census he has moved to 74 Park Rd, Bargoed, Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan and was married to Dorothy Lewis (married 1903) and they have 6 children, one of whom is named Raymond Frederick.
In 1913 Raymond Benson left from Liverpool to Sydney, via Melbourne on the ship T.E.S. Essex and arrived on 3rd March and he is listed as one of the passengers.
There are a few anomalies in his service records also; the original Attestation Form is missing and on the copy, as stated above, he has signed Raymond Brown. Also, the second page of correspondence from Mr. H Rogers is also missing although the questions he asked must have been answered in the reply.
An Eva Maud Bevin appears in the Electoral Rolls after the war and she is a saleswoman and lives at 9 Commercial Rd at Lillyfield with a Martha Bevin.
He was given a small metal badge in recognition of his recruiting work at Inverell while the war was still on, so he must have been there for a while after he returned.
In 1926 Raymond Frederick Benson married Aileen M Buckley and he died in 1958 and is buried at the Nowra General Cemetery NSW. The NSW Death Index has him being born in 1881 (age 77) and his parents were John and Mary Elizabeth. So, he must have added Frederick to his name. Aileen died in 1983 and is buried with her son Reginald Arthur Buckley who died in 1985. The death notice for Raymond also has “beloved husband of Aileen Muriel and stepfather of Reg and Joan Buckley” and an address of Orient Point via Nowra. It also notes him as being “late 1st AIF’” and has after his name “M.M., D.S.M., Mentioned in Dispatches”.
So, it would seem that Raymond Robson left his family and home in England and migrated to Australia, changing his surname to Benson. He then joined the A.I.F. for WW1, was wounded, awarded the MM and returned to Australia, but did not want to be contacted by anyone he previously knew. He then married and lived out his live in Nowra. Even his death notice adds a bit to the mystery of Raymond Benson.
His original grave, in poor condition.
The museum contacted the Nowra RSL, who were unaware he was buried there. They contacted DVA who gave approval for refurbishment of the grave. Picture below. He is the highest decorated soldier in the cemetery.
ANZAC Biographies
On our website you will find the biographical details of ANZAC (as well as British) servicemen & women
whose medals or other memorabilia form part of the collection belonging to the
Maryborough Military & Colonial Museum,
Maryborough, Queensland, Australia.