Gordon Edgar (George) Bennett

Gordon Edgar (George) Bennett

Personal Information
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 England to Fremantle
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

Gordon first applied to enter the AIF on 2 Aug 1915, but it was not until 22 Feb 1916 that he entered camp. Six weeks after entering Blackboy Hill camp, Gordon was allocated to the 12th reinforcement draft for the 28th Battalion, and following basic training he was embarked HMAT A60 Aeneas in Fremantle for Egypt on 17 Apr 1916. Disembarkation took place on 14 May 1916. His records don't tell us when he left Egypt for England, however, on arrival in England he was sent to the 7th Training Battalion in Rollestone. George proceeded overseas to France from Southampton on 9 Sep 1916. After a fortnight in the Base Depot in Étaples he joined his unit at Steenvorde 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 an 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 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 midnight 27 Jan 1918 to 6:30am on 28 Jan 1918. Found 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 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 No. 2 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).

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.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Memorial