| Regimental number | 840 |
| Place of birth | Dubbo, New South Wales |
| School | Ross Hill Public School, Inverell, New South Wales |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Occupation | Driver |
| Address | High Street, Inverell, New South Wales |
| Marital status | Single |
| Age at embarkation | 21 |
| Height | 5' 2" |
| Weight | 126 lbs |
| Next of kin | Father, John Henry Benson, High Street, Inverell, New South Wales |
| Previous military service | Served in the 5th Light Horse, Citizen Military Forces; still serving at time of AIF enlistment |
| Enlistment date | |
| Place of enlistment | Liverpool, New South Wales |
| Rank on enlistment | Private |
| Unit name | 30th Battalion, D Company |
| AWM Embarkation Roll number | 23/47/1 |
| Embarkation details | Unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A72 Beltana on |
| Rank from Nominal Roll | Private |
| Unit from Nominal Roll | 30th Battalion |
| Fate | Killed in Action |
| Date of death | |
| Age at death | 22 |
| Place of burial | Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery (Plot II, Row F, Grave No 4), France |
| Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial | 109 |
| Other details |
War service: Egypt, Western Front Embarked Sydney, 9 November 1915; disembarked Suez, 11 December 1915. Admitted to No 4 Auxiliary Hospital, Abbassia, 13 December 1915 (venereal disease); discharged, 10 January 1916. Proceeded to 30th Bn from 8th Training Bn, Zeitoun, 1 April 1916; rejoined 30th Bn, Ferry Post, 1 April 1916. Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 16 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 23 June 1916. Posted missing, 20 July 1916. Now, 16 January 1917, reported killed in action, 19 July 1916. Statement, Red Cross File No 350406 , 811 Pte G. POTTER, 30th Bn (patient, 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield, England), 18 August 1916: 'Was hit in the stomach at Levantie. I saw him killed ... ' Second statement, 1275 Pte M.F. HAYES, D company, 30th Bn (patient, Horton County of London War hospital, Epsom, England), 15 September 1916: 'On about 20th July at Fleurbaix, Pte Macnamara of 30th A.I.F., D. Coy, informed me that he was carrying ammunition with Pte Benson when a shell or a bomb burst quite close to Benson and hit him badly. He stayed with him for about a quarter of an hour and although he could see no definite marks of wounds on Benson, he seemed to be dead, and Macnamara was practically certain he was dead, and had to leave him.' Third statement, 850 Pte D. CAMPBELL, 30th Bn (patient, Rust Hall hospital, Tunbridge Wells, England), 17 September 1916: 'Benson was bringing up ammunition across No Man's Land to the trenches which wehad taken and he was blown up by a shell. His body could not have been found because he was blown to pieces.' Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal Originally listed as 'No Known Grave' and commemorated at V.C. Corner (Panel No 2), Australian Cemetery, Fromelles; subsequently (2010) identified, and interred in the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, France. |
| Miscellaneous details | Name entered incorrectly on Embarkation Roll as George Verue BENSON |
| Sources | NAA: B2455, BENSON George Verner
Red Cross file 350406 |
Postal Address:
Po Box 7916
Canberra BC 2610, Australia
Street Address:
Northcott Drive,
Campbell, ACT 2600
