WW1 KILLED IN ACTION MEDALS & PLAQUE 5468 HARRY BENTON 7TH MIDDLESEX SOMME 1916

WW1 KILLED IN ACTION MEDALS & PLAQUE 5468 HARRY BENTON 7TH MIDDLESEX SOMME 1916

Offered is a British War and Victory Medal (1914 – 18), impressed named 5468 PT. H. BENTON. MIDD’X R.; Memorial Plaque named HARRY BENTON mounted in a period bronze coloured metal surround marked to rear WRIGHT & SON – EDGWARE- MIDDLESEX. Comes with copies of M.I.C., medal roll, Commonwealth War Graves certificates, pension cards, war diary extracts September 1916.

Harry Benton was born in Doddinghurst, Brentwood, Essex about 1890/91. The 1911 census records him living with his parents in Brentwood, working as a farm labourer. His older brother Arthur Frederick (1883 - 1917) was also living with them.

He was killed whilst serving with the 1/7th Battalion Middlesex Regiment 16/9/1916 on the Somme during the Battle of Flers - Courcelett. The 1/7th Battalion was a pre war Territorial unit that was sent to relieve a regular battalion in Gibraltar in September 1915. It returned to England in February 1915 and proceeded to France in March 1915. He landed in France post 1/1/1916 as he is not entitled to the 1914/15 Star.

On 1/7/1916 the battalion was part of the 167th Brigade, 56th London division and was involved in the attack on the 1st Day of the Somme. On 15/9/1916 the battalion attacked Bouleaux Wood (near Combles). The attack was brought to a standstill short of the objective with heavy losses from German small arms fire.  It was relieved on the 16th and moved back into Brigade Reserve.

He was killed in action on 16/9/1916 and has no known grave. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. The pension records with his mother as a beneficiary sadly also lists his older brother Arthur Frederick Benton as killed accidentally a year later 6/9/1917.