William Robert Bennett
Memorial: Aust
Regiment: Royal Horse and Field Artillery
Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal
Rank and number: Sergeant 18088
Parents: Nora Creena Pearce
Home address: Cote Farm, Aust
Pre-war occupation: Farmer
Date of birth: 04/08/1889
Place of birth: Oldbury on Severn
Date of death: 1973
Buried/Commemorated at: Died in Toowoomba Queensland Australia. He is remembered on Aust Memorial and St Arilda Memorial Oldbury on Severn. He served and returned.
Age: 86
Further information:
William was born at Oldbury on Severn, the son of a farmer and a middle child of three with an older and younger sister. He attended Bedford County School.
William enlisted in the Army in September 1914 and at the time was recorded as being 5' 9 ΒΌ " tall and weighing 10st 3lb with dark brown hair, green eyes and a fresh complexion. He was promoted to Corporal in April 1915 then to Sergeant in June 1916. He served in France until November 1917 before being posted to Italy for four months. He returned to France in March of 1918 and was wounded in the August when he was awarded a wound stripe. He was mentioned in Despatches on November 8th 1918. William survived the war and was demobilised in March 1919. He was awarded two bronze oak leaf emblems which he took delivery of in July 1920. He married Norah a farmer's daughter in 1920 and William and Nora emigrated to Australia in May 1926 where William died at the age of 86.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/