Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Arthur Edmund John Bennet was born on the 3rd November 1896 in St Peters, South Australia. Arthur grew up in Grange and Henley, first attending Grange Public School and then Hindmarsh High School. His profession was a clerk and before deciding to enlist in the A.I.F (Australian Imperial Force).

According to his attestation papers, Bennet enlisted into the A.I.F on the 30th of April 1917, with his rank of embarkment, Private. 

Bennet was 20 years and 5 months when enlisting. Bennet was 5 feet and ½ inches, weighed 90Ibs and his chest measurement was 28.31 inches. His complexion was medium with brown eyes and had light brown hair. His papers also stated that he was not married with Bennet’s Next of Kin his father, Arthur Bennet.

Bennet then travelled to Melbourne where he embarked on the HMAT A32 Themistocles with the 50th Battalion on the 4th of August 1917. Bennet then disembarked with many soldiers from his ship in Glasgow, Scotland on the 2nd of October 1917. They then travelled down south and arrived in Codford, England where their camp was based, on the 3rd of October. Here, Bennet completed further training with the 13th Training Battalion.

On the 26th of January 1918, Bennet was taken onto the 50th Battalion by strength, meaning he was added to the battalion to build numbers. Bennet continued to fight with the 50th Battalion throughout the battles they faced, participating in three huge battles. On the 5th of April the 50th battalion assisted at River Acre, France, in the fight back against the largest German attack against Australian troops. At River Acre, this was when the German’s got the closest to Amiens, providing their final attack to take over. This was their last attempt where Operation Michael failed them. Operation Michael was a major German military offensive that was used in WW1. Its goal was the breakthrough the Allied lines so that the troops could head north-westerly to seize the channel ports, which supplied the British Expeditionary Force(BEF) , meaning that the BEF would be pushed out to sea. The Australian troops managed to halter the German attack and causes the final fall for Operation Michael.

The German threat still persisted against the 50th Battalion but on 25th of April 1918, they dislodged the German enemy attack at Villers-Bretonneux, just east from the Allied communications centre in Amiens. The 50th Battalion continued to play an active role in the Allies offense on the 8th of August 1918. This battalions last major role and operation in the war was on the 18th of September when they attacked Hindenburg, the ‘out-post line’ and the German’s last and strongest military defence. This attack was launched when Lieutenant General Sir John Monash's troops reached the first part of the Hindenburg line. The troops, supported by artillery barrages, broke through the heavily protected German defences and took 4,300 prisoners. There was a high casualty for death or wounded soldiers, this being around 1,000, this was a good price to pay compared to the losses for the German line. Bennet continued to stay with his unit up until the 3rd of November, until he decided to go out on leave to the U.K on the 24th of December 1918. It is unclear in his service papers, what he did or where he went during this time, but he didn’t re-joined the A.I.F until the 5th of January 1919.

Due to many difficulties, on the 6th of March 1919 the 50th Battalion collapsed and combined with the 51st Battalion, providing greater strength. Bennet was still involved with the now combined Battalion’s assistance in the Allied forces offense. It is stated in Bennet’s service papers that he was scheduled to return back to Australia (RTA) on the 10th of May 1919, but this didn’t happen. This is because on the 21st of May, Bennet was disembarked to Southampton. Finally, on the 2nd of August 1919, Bennet repatriated back to Australia from England, on the HMAT A8 Argyllshire. Bennet was later than discharged on the 18th of October 1919.

Bennet is listed on the honour roll at Grange Public School Roll of Honour for his contribution and bravery for participating in World War 1. All 66 of the men that are listed on this roll of honour attended Grange Public School and the signed up to the A.I.F to help the Allied Forces. Bennet is also listed in the 99 men on the Kingscote & District WW2 Honour Roll.

The soldiers that fought throughout the war could have received three different medals. These were Pip, Squeak and Wilfred, more commonly known as the 1914 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. Since Bennet only joined the war in 1917 he received two medals for his bravery and commitment to the war and the Allied Forces. These were the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

The British War Medal was issued to men who served in the British and imperial forces who entered service overseas between 5th of August 1914 and 11th of November 1918. Approximately 6.4 million British War medals were issued. Once received, the recipients service number, unit, rank and name was impressed on the rim.
The Victory Medal was received to all service men to commemorate the Allied Forces victory over the Central Powers. Each of the Allied nations issued this medal to their own nationals. They all used the standard ribbon but each had a variety of designs on the medal to show the nations custom and identity. Australian troops were awarded this medal by Great Britain. The eligibility for this medal was more restrictive then the other two medals issued, but all recipients of the 1914 Star medal also received the British War medal and the Victory Medal. Bennet was also mentioned I dispatches. He was mentioned in the London Gazette No.31448, 11th July 1919 and the Commonwealth Gazette No. 124, 30th October 1919.

Once Bennet returned home, some years later he married Lorna and had two children, Mary and David. It does not mention Bennet’s cause of death, but on the 3rd March 1966, aged 69, Arthur sadly passed away. Arthur was buried at Cheltenham Cemetery, Adelaide, South Australia.