BENNETTS, Neil Marwick
| Service Number: | 1914 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 January 1915, Melbourne |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 4th Pioneer Battalion |
| Born: | Pyramid Hill, Victoria, Australia, 8 May 1895 |
| Home Town: | Bendigo, Greater Bendigo, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Violet St School / St Andrews College Bendigo, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Railway Porter |
| Died: | Natural causes, Cockatoo, Victoria, Australia, 6 December 1966, aged 71 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Bendigo Great War Roll of Honor, Bendigo St. John's Presbyterian Church Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 19 Jan 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1914, 14th Infantry Battalion, Melbourne | |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Apr 1915: | Involvement Private, 1914, 14th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Hororata embarkation_ship_number: A20 public_note: '' | |
| 17 Apr 1915: | Embarked Private, 1914, 14th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Hororata, Melbourne | |
| 4 Aug 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 1914, 4th Pioneer Battalion, Battle for Pozières , GSW left forearm | |
| 27 Jul 1917: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 1914, 4th Pioneer Battalion, Medically unfit |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Larna Malone
Neil Marwick Bennetts was born in Pyramid Hill, the son of Richard Bennetts. The family subsequently moved to 187 View St, Bendigo, and Neil was educated at the Violet St School and St Andrews College. He was later employed as a Railway Porter with the railways in Melbourne. He enlisted on 19.1.15 aged 19 years and 7 months. He was described as being 5’ 6½” tall with a fresh complexion, brown eyes, and black hair. He was allocated Service No. 1914 and appointed to the 5th Reinforcements for the 14th Battalion. He embarked for overseas on 17.4.15.
In July he embarked for Gallipoli, but by the end of the month was diagnosed with Haemorrhoids and sent to hospital in Malta and England. In March, 1916, he embarked for Egypt and re-joined the 14th Battalion. He was transferred to the 4th Pioneer Battalion on 27.5.16 and subsequently embarked for France.
The 4th Pioneer Battalion participated in the final phase of the Battle of Pozieres – the capture of Pozieres Ridge. The battalion was employed constructing communication trenches and machine gun emplacements, and on 3rd August, 1916, was engaged on widening and deepening Copse Avenue through Pozieres. Neil Marwick Bennetts was initially recorded as Missing and later recorded as Wounded in Action 3.8.16. Suffering a Gun Shot Wound in his left forearm, he was admitted to hospital in England. He embarked for return to Australia on 17.3.17, and was discharged “Medically Unfit.”
He re-enlisted for service on 17.5.18 and was appointed to Unit No 11 General Hospital. He was discharged from the AIF on 14th November 1918, 3 days after the Armistice.
“The Men Listed on the Roll of Honour, St John’s Presbyterian Church, Bendigo”: Larna Malone
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