=BELSTEN, WALTER SIDNEY=, Private, No. 1756, 13th (Princess Louise’s Kensington) Battn. The London Regt., _s._ of William Henry Belsten, of 8, Colville Road, South Acton, by his wife, Sarah Elizabeth, dau. of Henry Jones, of Bristol; _b._ London, 7 Jan. 1892; educ. Priory School, and Central School, Acton; enlisted the day after the declaration of war, 6 Aug. 1914, went to the Front 4 Nov., came through the Battle of Neuve Chapelle unhurt, and was killed in action at Aubers Ridge at the same time as his only brother (see following notice), 9 May, 1915; _unm._
[Illustration: =Walter Sidney Belsten.=]
=BELSTEN, WILLIAM HENRY=, Sergt., No. 2360, 13th (Princess Louise’s) Battn. The London Regt., elder _s._ of William Henry Belsten (see preceding notice); _b._ London, 27 Oct 1890; educ. Priory School, Acton, Queen’s Park College, and Islington College; was an Assistant Master at St. Paul’s School, Brentford, but on the outbreak of war enlisted 30 Aug. 1914, went to France 9 Feb. 1915, came through the Battle of Neuve Chapelle unhurt, and was promoted sergt., and was killed in action at Aubers Ridge, near Neuve Chapelle, at the same time as his only brother, 9 May, 1915; _unm._ He was Superintendent of the Sunday school, Acton, and a credence table was placed to his memory at St. Cuthbert’s Mission Church, Acton.
[Illustration: =William Henry Belsten.=]
=BENDING, GEORGE JESSE=, Third Writer, M. 5284, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BENDYSHE, RICHARD NELSON=, Major and Brevet Lieut.-Col., Royal Marine Light Infantry, eldest _s._ of the late Nelson Bendyshe, by his wife; Charlotte, yst. dau. of Capt. Henry Brodrick, 29th Regt., and grandson of John Bendyshe, of Barrington Hall, co. Cambridge, J.P., Lieut. R.N., by his wife, Catherine, eldest dau. of George Matcham, of Ashfield Lodge, co. Sussex, and Catherine, his wife, sister of the great Lord Nelson; _b._ Woodstock, Ontario, 18 Jan. 1866; educ. King’s School, Canterbury; joined the Marines, became Lieut. 1 Sept. 1885, Capt. 1 April, 1895, Major 1 Feb. 1903, Brevet Lieut.-Col. 1 Feb. 1910; was Assistant Instructor of Musketry, Chatham Division Royal Marines, in 1895; Adjutant to Plymouth Division, 1896–1901; Staff Officer, Chatham Division, 1902–06; and retired 1 July, 1910. At the outbreak of the war Major Bendyshe took charge of the wireless station at .... but applied to join the Marines Brigade; was appointed to the Deal battn., and went to Antwerp at the time of the siege. He was killed in action, 1 May, 1915, in the Dardanelles at Gebe Tebe whilst in command of the Deal battn. He _m._ at Berkesbourne, Canterbury, 15 Aug. 1893, Eleanor Margaret (Barrington Hall, Cambridge), dau. of the Rev. Henry John Wardell, Vicar of Berkesbourne, and had two children: John Nelson, Lieut. Worcestershire Regt., _b._ 29 July, 1894; and Margaret Charlotte, _b._ 1 Nov. 1900. In Sept. 1914, Major Bendyshe succeeded his uncle in the Barrington Hall estate, which has been the seat of the family since the reign of Edward III, and was succeeded in possession of it by his only son.
[Illustration: =Richard Nelson Bendyshe.=]
=BENHAM, JOHN PERCY=, Sergt., No. 48, No. 1 Coy., Princess Patricia’s L.I.; eldest _s._ of the late John Benham, Iron Founder, by his wife, Helen Louisa (99, Warwick Gardens, Earl’s Court, S.W.), dau. of John Jay; _b._ Earl’s Court, 6 Dec. 1872; educ. in Salisbury; served as a volunteer in the South African war, and on 5 Aug. 1914, while out in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, enlisted in Princess Patricia’s L.I. He was wounded in March, 1915, being shot in the arm, and lay in hospital in Boulogne for six weeks; then returned to his company, and was killed on the north-west side of the Bellewarde Lake, about 500 yards north-west of Hooge, 8 May, 1915; _unm._ Sergt. Benham had a good knowledge of French, and a comrade wrote: “Your son was held in great respect and his quiet cheerfulness was much appreciated by those who came in contact with him. He was very popular not only in No. 1 Coy. but in the whole battn.”
[Illustration: =John Percy Benham.=]
=BENHAM, JOHN RUSSELL=, 2nd Lieut., 100th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, only _s._ of the late Edwin Arthur Russell Benham, of Colombo, Ceylon, Tea Planter and Tea Merchant, by his wife, Grizzet Hamilton (of Glenlinden, Colinton, Midlothian), elder dau. of the late John Leveson Douglas, of Glenogil, Forfarshire; _b._ Colombo, 19 Sept. 1895; educ. Mr. Perkin’s, Matfield Grange, Paddock Wood, Rugby and Woolwich. He was gazetted 2nd Lieut. 17 Nov. 1914, and went to France with the 28th Divisional Ammunition Column on 16 Jan. 1915, and was immediately posted to the 100th Battery. Later he served for a short time with G Battery, R.H.A., and then returned to his own. He died of wounds received in action near Ypres, 4 May, 1915; _unm._ His commanding officer wrote: “... that, through the most trying times he proved himself a soldier for all his youth.”
[Illustration: =John Russell Benham.=]
=BENNETT, ALBERT EDWARD=, Ship’s Corpl., 1st Class, 178486, H.M.S. Hawke; lost in action in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914.
=BENNETT, ERNEST HENRY=, Petty Officer, 193860, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BENNETT, FRANK HENRY=, Corpl., R.M.L.I., Ch. 12196, H.M.S. Hawke; lost in action in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914; _m._
=BENNETT, FREDERICK BENJAMIN=, Private, No. 1115, 1/5th Battn. (London Rifle Brigade) The London Regt. (T.F.), only _s._ of Benjamin Bennett, of 17, Airlie Gardens, Ilford, Clerk, by his wife, Alice Eliza, dau. of William Hudson, of Dalston, N.E.; _b._ Leyton, co. Essex, 16 June, 1896; educ. Cleveland Road Council School, Ilford, and St. George’s College, London; entered H.M. Customs as a boy clerk after competitive examination, remaining until he reached the age limit of eighteen, and was preparing for the Second Division Civil Service when war broke out. He had served a year and eight months in the Civil Service Cadets, and after passing his examination joined the London Rifle Brigade in Oct. and was picked for the drafts for the 1st Battn. at the end of Jan. He had been at the Front scarcely three weeks when, about 1 a.m. on 12 March, 1915, he was mortally wounded while on sentry duty in the trenches at Ploegsteert Woods. The Sergt. of his platoon wrote: “Your son was in my platoon and was on sentry duty in the trench on the night of the 11th-12th. At about 1 a.m. a star light was sent up by the enemy over his trench, followed immediately by a volley. Unfortunately one of the shots struck your son on the left side of the head level with the left eye. He was picked up at once and sent to the field ambulance without any delay. The wound was a very severe one, and he died the following morning about 11 a.m.... He was a fine manly chap and did his duty with the best.” He was a server at St. Clement’s Parish Church, Ilford, and was for some time secretary of the Young Men’s Guild.
[Illustration: =Frederick B. Bennett.=]
=BENNETT, GEORGE=, Private, R.M.L.I. (R.F.R., B. 838), H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BENNETT, HUGH DONALD=, Lieut., Royal Naval Reserve, H.M.S. Cressy, 4th _s._ of the late George Bennett, of Little Rissington, Gloucestershire, by his wife, Eliza Laura (now wife of Col. F. Stringer, of the Old Mansion, Bredon, Tewkesbury), dau. of Nathan Dyer; _b._ Bredon, 21 May, 1877; educ. Dean Close School, Cheltenham, and H.M.S. Conway, training ship, Birkenhead. Joined the P. & O. Steam Navigation Company and Royal Naval Reserve, 23 July, 1897; served as 5th officer, s.s. Carthage (23 July, 1897), and Oriental (10 Aug. 1897); 4th officer, s.s. Ceylon (28 Oct. 1897); 5th officer, s.s. Oriental (8 Nov. 1897); and Himalaya (10 Nov 1897); 4th officer, s.s. Sumatra (8 March, 1898), and Australia (30 Sept. 1898); 3rd officer, s.s. Australia (30 Jan. 1899), Oriental (19 Feb. 1900), Britannia (15 Jan. 1901); 2nd officer, s.s. Britannia (19 Sept. 1901–13 June, 1902), Plassy (2 Sept. 1904–13 April, 1905), Dock staff (23 Feb. 1907), Sumatra (4 July, 1907), Marmora (28 Sept. 1908–10 Oct. 1910); Chief Officer, s.s. Palma (21 June, 1911–3 Aug. 1914), being twice (21 May–10 June, 1913 and 14 July–3 Aug. 1914) Acting Commander. Called up on mobilization, 3 Aug. 1914, and appointed to H.M.S. Cressy. He was lost in the North Sea when that ship was torpedoed, 22 Sept. 1914; _unm._
[Illustration: =Hugh Donald Bennett.=]
=BENNETT, JAMES=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., B. 7936), 292894, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=LEIGH-BENNETT, ARTHUR=, D.S.O., M.C., Capt., 2nd Battn. Coldstream Guards, yr. surviving _s._ of the late Henry Currie Leigh-Bennett, of Thorpe Place, co. Surrey, M.P. for the Chertsey Division; _b._ Thorpe Place, 25 Nov. 1885; educ. at Winchester and Sandhurst; gazetted 2nd Lieut. Coldstream Guards, 28 Jan. 1905, and promoted Lieut. 22 Jan. 1907, and Tempy. Capt. 15 Nov. 1914, being continued in the latter rank, 1 Jan. 1915; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from Aug. 1914, to 3 Oct. 1915; was wounded in Nov., and again in May; was twice mentioned in Despatches by F.M. Sir John (now Lord) French (18 Feb. and 11 March, 1915); received the Military Cross for services at the Battle of the Aisne; was awarded the D.S.O. “for conspicuous gallantry, at Cuinchy, on 1 Feb. 1915. Leading his men with great ability against the enemy, he stopped their advance, and eventually captured their position,” and was killed on the morning of 3 Oct. 1915, when inspecting with his Colonel and other officers some trenches which the Coldstream Guards were taking over that night. Capt. Leigh-Bennett was a member of the Coldstream Guards polo team, and played both cricket and golf for the 2nd Battn. He was _unm._