Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

# 3684 BENTON (aka BARNES) Frank Gorrell                        49th Battalion
Frank Benton was born at Ripple Farm, Ashford in Kent; not far from the Port of Folkstone. He attended school at Ashford and presumably worked on the family farm when he was older. According to Frank’s father Charles, Frank emigrated to Australia around 1912. It is possible that he first landed in South Australia but by 1915 he was farming in Queensland; perhaps in the Nanango District. Frank had also taken up with a Miss Amy Bennett of New Farm, Brisbane. Miss Bennet apparently knew Frank by the surname of Barnes.
Frank presented himself for enlistment at Adelaide Street in Brisbane on 14th August 1915; using the surname of Barnes. He stated his age as 24 years and gave his occupation as farmer. Frank did not provide a name and address for a next of kin, nor did he state where he was living. Frank was placed in a depot battalion at Enoggera for initial training but was soon designated as part of the 12th reinforcements of the 9thBattalion, which was at that time fighting the Turks on Gallipoli.
Frank and the other 100 or so reinforcements boarded the “Itonus” in Brisbane on 30th December 1915. The embarkation roll does not record either an address of next of kin for Frank Barnes; however, Miss Amy Burton of New Farm in a letter dated late in 1917 stated that she was the recipient of an allotment of 3/- a day from Frank’s overseas pay. Miss Burton would appear to have been under the impression that she had been named as Frank’s next of kin.
When the 9th Battalion reinforcements landed in Egypt, the entire AIF was in the process of doubling its size from two to four full divisions. The veterans of the 9th Battalion were split to form the core of two new battalions; the 9th Battalion and the 49th Battalion. On 29th February 1916, Frank was reassigned to the 49thBattalion, part of the 13th Brigade of the 4th Division. The new divisions spent several months in Egypt training and becoming accustomed to their new command structure. On 5th June 1916, the 49th Battalion boarded a ship in Alexandria for the six day crossing of the Mediterranean to Marseilles.
On the 1st July 1916, the British launched the Battle of the Somme on the Western Front. Things did not go well for the conscripts in Kitchener’s New Army, suffering 60,000 casualties on the first day. Little ground was gained and after two weeks most of the reserve forces had been committed as well with no appreciable difference in the position save for a small salient that had been opened along the old Roman Road between Albert and Bapaume.
The British Commander, Douglas Haig, called up the four AIF divisions to press home the small advantage. The 5th Division was sent into the German machine guns at Fromelles and was so badly mauled that the division was effectively non operational for the next twelve months. The 1st, 2nd and 4th Divisions took turns in facing murderous artillery and MG fire at Pozieres and then Mouquet Farm.
The 49th Battalion suffered severely at Mouquet Farm in early September 1916 and was withdrawn from the frontline to re-equip, reinforce and reorganise. On 5th November, Frank was sent off to the School of Instruction for Lewis Gun operators. He received a commendation for his achievement at the school. Frank returned to the 49th at the end of November, just as winter was setting in.
Even though the winter effectively closed down the front, troops were still required to man the front line trenches. For the Australians, this was particularly tough as their uniforms were not designed for below zero conditions and it was only the issue of sheepskin waistcoats provided from Australia that made the men’s predicament slightly less arduous. The 13th Brigade in conjunction with other brigades was involved in rotation in and out of the front line for periods of ten days at a time.
In February 1917, the conditions were still against any mobile activity and the 49th was on rotation in the front line at Flers on 6th February when Frank (who it would seem had reverted to his correct surname) was struck by a shell fragment from an artillery shell, receiving a serious penetrating head wound. He was carried out of the line to the 12th Field Ambulance and then taken to the 45th Casualty Clearing Station where he died without regaining consciousness. Frank was buried in a cemetery at Dernacourt which at the end of the war would be renamed the Dernacourt Communal Cemetery Extension.
Charles Benton, Frank’s father, completed the Roll of Honour Circular and signed for his son’s medals. Miss Amy Burton of New Farm was probably was shocked to learn that Frank had used a false surname.