Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Benjamin Robert BAX was the son of Charles Forbes BAX & Elizabeth Jane BOLT and was born on the 13th of February 1890 on Neeta Station, near Mannum, SA.

His father was born on the 27th of May 1860 on Wall Station, River Murray, SA and was the son of George Thomas BAX & Mary Forbes STRAPP.
His mother was born on the 12th of September 1859 in Blumberg, SA and was the daughter of Richard BOLT & Mary Turner DUNN.
Charles & Elizabeth were married on the 15th of February 1886 in Mt Pleasant, SA.

Ben was the 3rd child born into this family of 8 children; 7 boys & 1 girl.

Ben’s eldest brothers; Murray Charles & Albert James had also been born on Neeta Station before the family moved to Tungkillo and his father gained employment with John Baker on Terlinga Station and John Baker built a cottage for them on the Station.
During this time Ben gained another 5 siblings before 1899.
Sadly his little brother Malcolm died in November 1893 aged only 4 months.
When Terlinga Station was sold the Bax family moved into the township of Mt Pleasant and rented the Union Bank building on the corner of Melrose Street and Saleyard Road. They ran cows in the back yard and his mother made cheese, hawking it around the neighbourhood.

His father was a salesman and auctioneer and a very talented horseman. He was also employed by Bagot, Shakes & Lewis Ltd as a manager.

Ben and his siblings attended the Mt Pleasant Public School.
Ben was a small lad and upon leaving school Ben became a Colt Breaker. His brother George had already become a Jockey, apprenticed to J Patterson, Alex was also a jockey and Arthur was a horse trainer.

At the age of 24, Ben enlisted into the 3rd Light Horse Regiment on the 27th of August 1914 in Morphettville, SA and was allotted the service number 106 and posted to A Squadron.
He listed his mother of Mt Pleasant, as his next of kin.
His brother Murray also enlisted on this day and was allotted the service number 107 and posted to the same unit as Ben.

His other brother Alex was living in Tasmania and he then enlisted into the same unit as Ben and Murray on the 16th of September 1914 and allotted the service number 524.
The three brothers embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A17 Port Lincoln on the 22nd of October 1914.

The three brothers embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A17 Port Lincoln on the 22nd of October 1914 and arrived in Egypt in the second week of December. Here, they joined the 1st and 2nd Regiments to form the 1st Light Horse Brigade.

Christmas was spent in Maadi before they moved onto Heliopolis at the end of January.
February was spent here with Brigade & Divisional Training.
Ben suffered from Empyema and was admitted to the Bombay Presidency General Hospital, Alexandria on the 16th of March. He spent 4 weeks in hospital before being discharged back to his unit on the 13th of April.

On the 9th of May 1915 the 3 bothers and the 3rd Light Horse Regiment proceeded to Gallipoli, arriving at day break on the 12th of May at Cape Hellas and arrived at ANZAC Cove at 7:45pm.
They disembarked that night and proceeded to the trenches at Monash Valley, Popes Post.

Alex suffered a Gun Shot Wound to his head at Popes Hill on the 28th of May and was transferred immediately to the hospital ship HMHS Gascon.
This was the last time Ben & Murray would see their brother as Alex died at sea 2 days later and was buried at sea at 11am, about 3 miles from Cape Tepe.

Ben & Murray spent June and July on Garrison duty on Popes Hill and in general reserve in Monash Valley.
Murray suffered from extreme Dysentery in late July and was transferred to Malta and then onto England.
Ben was now without both brothers, his Regiment spent August at Quinn’s Post and then September and October at Destroyer Hill.

On the 13th of November Ben suffered from Dysentery and was transferred to the 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance at Fisherman’s Hut for 2 days before rejoining his Regiment.

They remained at Destroyer Hill until 8pm on the 13th of December when they were ordered to No.2 post to prepare for embarkation. They embarked at midnight on HMT Abbassia, arriving in Mudros Bay at 1pm on the 14th of December.
They were then transferred to HMAT Karro and sailed at 4pm for Egypt, arriving at Alexandria on the 19th at 12:30pm and disembarked the following day.

Christmas was spent at Heliopolis and then by New Years Day 1916 they had arrived at Khatatba to join the Western Front Force, ANZAC Mounted Division.
The Regiment was then sent to protect the Nile Valley from bands of pro-Turkish Senussi Arabs.
Ben must have been so pleased to see his brother Murray, who rejoined the Regiment on the 26th of January.
They moved onto El Gaar and established Wells for the Light Horse and then onto Ras as Sulaymaniyah.

On the 18th of May, as part of the 1st Light Horse Brigade, the 3rd Light Horse joined the forces defending the Suez Canal.
They played a significant role in turning back the Turkish advance on the canal at the battle of Romani on the 4th of August. In ensuing days they participated in the immediate follow-up of the defeated Turks, but were soon withdrawn to rest.

They then rejoined the Allied advance across the Sinai in November and were subsequently involved in the fighting to secure the Turkish outposts on the Palestine frontier - Maghdaba on the 23rd of December 1916 and Rafa on the 9th of January 1917.

It was here at Rafa on the 9th that Murray suffered a Gun Shot Wound to his liver & chest and was transferred to the 1st Australian Field Ambulance. Sadly he died from his wounds the same day and was buried half a mile north of a little village named Sheik Zowait.

Ben had now lost 2 brothers in this war.

Ben and the Regiment then had a stint of protective duty along the line of communications through the Sinai.
Their next major engagement was the abortive second battle of Gaza on the 19th of April and by May they were at Shellal.
Most of June was spent resting and training at Abasan El Kebir.

On the 4th of July Ben was transferred and attached as a Batman to Lieutenant Colonel FULTON at Headquarters in Cairo. He was then transferred to the Australian Depot Stores in Ghezireah on the 18th of August for 8 weeks before returning to HQ.
Ben suffered a bruised back on the 18th of November and was hospitalised in Cairo for 3 days.
On the 5th of March 1918 Ben was transferred back to stores and attached for rations.

Ben finally embarked for Australia from Suez on the 13th of October 1918, disembarking on the 23rd of November.

Within 3 days he was home at Mt Pleasant and on Wednesday the 26th of November the residence of Mt Pleasant held a welcome home social for Ben in the local hall.

Ben received his discharge on the 22nd of January 1919.

Ben went to work with his brother Jack who was training racehorses for Mick Rasheed.

In September 1919 Ben, Jack and their brother George, who was a jockey, took a team of horses, including Laroon & Pistolusion to Perth.

The 3 brothers were staying at the Ascot Hotel, near Perth and on the night of the 23rd of October Ben was on the balcony of the hotel and had taken a rug and cigarettes on the verandah, evidently to lie down.

Not long after, Ben fell to his death off the balcony.

An inquest was heard into his death and his brothers both stated that he was perfectly sober at the time, but he had had a fit some time previously and this could have been the reason for his fall.

Ben’s body was transported home by the “express” transcontinental train and taken to his parent’s home in Mt Pleasant before he was buried in the St John’s Anglican Cemetery, Mt Pleasant; Row 8, Plot 6.
As of 09.10.2023 his grave is unmarked - the SA Headstone Project are aware