Année de naissance: 1894

Lieu de naissance: Munslow, Shropshire, Angleterre, Royaume-Uni

Profession: ouvrier journalier

Pays: Angleterre, Royaume-Uni

Force armée: British Expeditionary Force

Rang: Private

Numéro de service: 201097

Incorporation nom de lieu: Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Angleterre, Royaume-Uni

Unités:  —  King's Shropshire Light Infantry, 1/4th Bn.  (Dernière unité connue)

Date de décès: 31/10/1917

Lieu de décès: Source Trench, Passchendaele, Belgique

Cause du décès: Killed in action (K.I.A.)

Âge: 23

British War Medal Médaille — 19/03/1921

Victory Medal Médaille — 19/03/1921

William Henry Bennett was born around 1894 in Munslow, Shropshire. He lived and worked as a Farm Labourer in Westhope, Craven Arms, Shropshire, before joining the British Expeditionary Force. During the War William served with the 1/4th Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry, part of the 190th Brigade, of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division.

The Royal Naval Division participated in the final stages of the Battle of Passchendaele (31 July – 10 November 1917). On 29 October, the King's Shropshire Light Infantry, 1/4th Battalion moved towards the front line in anticipation of the attack on the 30th of October. When the Battalion arrived at Albatross Farm around 9 p.m. it was heavily shelled, suffering around 25 casualties in about an hour.

At 5.50 a.m., the Division attacked with the 190th Brigade. The 1/4th King’s Shropshire Light Infantry acted as a counter-attack Battalion. At 1.30 p.m. two companies of the Battalion were sent up to Varlet Farm, while one Company moved to Kronprinz Farm. ”A” and “D” Company were to attack Source Trench, to fill a gap in the lines between Varlet Farm and Source Farm. In the meantime “B” Company moved towards Source Farm in support of the Canadians on the right. “B” Company suffered heavy casualties in doing so and only managed to get in touch with “A” and “D” Companies after dark. During the night the a line of posts was consolidated between Source Farm and Varlet Farm. The Battalion held these positions till they were relieved after dark on 31 October 1917.

The attack of the 1/4th King’s Shropshire light Infantry on Source Trench was the Battalion’s first action on the Western Front. The total casualties for the attack were: 1 officer killed, 8 officers wounded, 21 other ranks killed, 106 wounded and 1 man went missing. Private William Henry Bennett was one of the men killed in action on 31 October 1917. William has no known grave and is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.

"Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account", McCarthy C., London, Uniform, 2018, pg. 153-155. Sources utilisées

"The history of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry in the Great War: 1914-1918", Wood W., London, The Medici Society, 1925, pg. 107-108. Sources utilisées

Ancestry https://www.ancestry.com/ Autre référence

CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/844756/bennett,-william-henry/ Sources utilisées

The Long, Long Trail http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/ Sources utilisées

War Diary King's Shropshire Light Infantry, 1/4th Bn. http://www.nmarchive.com/ Autre référence