Regimental number | 1018 |
Place of birth | Warrnambool, Victoria |
School | State School, Warrnambool, Victoria |
Religion | Church of England |
Occupation | Cabinetmaker |
Address | Timor Street, Warrnambool, Victoria |
Marital status | Single |
Age at embarkation | 19 |
Height | 6' 0" |
Weight | 147 lbs |
Next of kin | Mother, Mrs S K Bensley, Timor Street, Warrnambool, Victoria |
Previous military service | 46th Battery Australian Field Artillery; Served in the Compulsory Military Training scheme. |
Enlistment date | |
Place of enlistment | Melbourne, Victoria |
Rank on enlistment | Gunner |
Unit name | Field Artillery Brigade 2, Battery 5 |
AWM Embarkation Roll number | 13/30/1 |
Embarkation details | Unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board Transport A9 Shropshire on |
Rank from Nominal Roll | Gunner |
Unit from Nominal Roll | 2nd Field Artillery Brigade |
Fate | Died of wounds |
Place of death or wounding | Bullecourt, France |
Age at death | 22.11 |
Age at death from cemetery records | 22 |
Place of burial | Grevillers British Cemetery (Plot II, Row C, Grave No. 20), France |
Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial | 11 |
Miscellaneous information from cemetery records | Parents: Archibald Kerr and Edith Alice BENSLEY, Warrnambool, Victoria |
Other details |
War service: Egypt, Gallipoli, Western Front Joined Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, 8 April 1915; evacuated Gallipoli and disembarked Alexandria, 22 December 1915. Embarked Alexandria to join British Expeditionary Force, 22 March 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 28 March 1916. Wounded in action, France, 3 May 1917; admitted to 6th Australian Field Ambulance, 3 May 1917 (shrapnel wound, back and right leg); transferred to 3rd Casualty Clearing Station, 3 May 1917; died of wounds, 3 May 1917. Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal [On 29 May 1920 Mrs Edith A. Bensley wrote to the Officer Commanding Base Depots stating that Arthur Bensley "was one of 3 illegitmiate children that Mrs. T Prat had to 3 different fathers before she married Prat, who is the father of none of them. Arthur washboarded out to an old woman in this town and as his mother could not pay for him and the old lady could not keep him for nothing there was talk of him being sent to the schools. Mr. Bensley and I had no children and we took a fancy to the child and took as our own and we got nothing with him and nothing for him from anyone. We reared him from 18 months of age and he was in his apprenticeship to the Cabinet making when he enlisted. He knew Mrs. Prat was his mother, but he had nothing but disgust for her and never spoke to her if he met her. He knew no mother's love but mine and he told me had left a Will, when he was home on final leave, but we could never tell what he did with it." This was in response to Mrs. Prat requesting a benefit as the mother of a deceased soldier] |
Sources | NAA: B2455, BENSLEY Arthur |