Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

REV. JAMES BENSON RETURNS.

The Rev. James Benson, Th.L., who left recently for Papua to serve with the Anglican Mission, was born in Leeds, England, in 1888. He came to Australia in 1910 as a member of the Brotherhood of the Good Shepherd in the Diocese of Bathurst.

Mr. Benson studied for Holy Orders at St. John's College, Armidale, and was ordained to the priesthood by the late Dr. Long, Bishop of Bathurst, in 1916. He has held various appointments since, having been curate of Portland 1915-17, rector of Sofala 1917-18, and of Cobar 1918-19. He Joined the staff of the New Guinea mission in 1919, but returned to Australia in 1921 for health reasons. He was rector of Portland from 1922 to 1923, and deputation secretary in New South Wales for the Australian Board of Missions in 1923-24, after which he was curate of St. Saviour's
Cathedral, Goulburn, during 1924-25. He was rector of Bodalla 1925-28 and has been a member of the Community of the Ascension, Goulburn, since 1929. He severed his connection with the community recently to resume work in the New Guinea mission under the newly-appointed Bishop.

The Sydney Morning Herald Saturday 23 January 1937 page 32

MISSIONARIES KILLED
VICTIMS INCLUDE THE REV. JAMES BENSON

Three members of the Anglican mission personnel in Papua have been killed and four taken prisoner, according to advice received by the Australian Board of missions. This was announced by Bishop Cranswick, chairman of the board. Those killed were Sister Map Hayman and Miss Mavis Parkinson, and the Rev. James Benson, who first went to New Guinea in 1929. He returned to Australia in1921 and left again for the mission field in 1937, some time before which tip lost his wife under very tragic circumstances. Mr. Benson was stationed in Waggain 1929 for about nine months and returned in 1933 to desist in the Oxford Movement.

Daily Advertiser Friday 09 October 1942 page 2

MISSIONARY RELEASED
Dead Girl's Diary Tells Ordeal

Rev. Jamnes Benson, formerly of Stockton, a Church of England missionary, believed to have been killed by the Japanese nearly three years ago, was among prisoners released by Australian forces who entered Rabaul on September 10. News has been received that Rev. Benson's youngest brother. John, who was captured at tile fall of Singapore, has been recovered. Mr. Benson, who joined the House of Ascension after his wife and family were killed in a car accident some years ago, was in charge of the mission station at Gona before the war. Two other members of the mission staff, Sister P. Hayman, formerly a Victorian nurse, and Miss Moavis Pakinson, a Brisbane schoolteacher, were killed by the Japanese. When the Japanese landed near Gonn on July 21, 1942, Mr. Benson intended to ask the Japanese for permission to carry on the mission work. But later fears for the safety of the two women made him abandon this idea. With the enemy less than two miles away, the party decided to attempt to escape through the jungle.
Diary in Pencil
A rough diary, scribbled in pencil on A.C.F. notepaper, and found by natives, tells some of tile story of their efforts to evade the Japanese advance, but finishes abruptly on August 11. At the end of the first week, Sister Hayman wrote: "There must be many other adventures more thrilllng and certainly more gory than ours. for we have not so much as seen a dead bird, nor have we suffered anything more than a few scratches and many insect bites. It has been very nerve-wracking. never the less. "Not long after dawn, over came planes-such bombing and shooting. Nineteen raids we counted on the second day. We pushed on, not seeing anything, but hearing more than enough to tell us of the havoc that was being caused by American bombers and Japanese anti-aircraft and fighters. We often crouched between trees while dogfights took place practically over our heads. "The party made its way to Stal, a village of friendly natives, about five miles from Gona .On August 11, Sister Hayman added to the diary: "Three week today since we left Gona. All rumours put together, it seems that the Japs are about half-way to Port (Moresby), but are being killed by the thousands; that they are kindly disposed to the natives and have hurt none; and that they have moved their headquarters from Gona to Buna, for two more ships have brought men and equipment which are daily on the move along the better Kokoda road.
"Without Fear""
We live comfortably and without fear. Father Benson has been rather nervous, for he fears what might befall we girls if an irresponsible patrol of Japs should find us. But Mavis and I are not worrying, and even the noises of the night fail to disturb our slumbers now."Twenty-one days later, both girls were bayoneted to death at Ponindetta, near Buna. Their bodies buried in a shallow hole by the Japanese, were disinterred in February, 1943, in the presence of two Allied doctors. Mr. Benson was held as a prisoner, and later was transferred to Rabaul. It is believed the girls were captured in a jungle hide-out near Siai, in which they thought themselves safe from discovery. On August 4,Miss Parkinson had written: "We moved into our hide-out, about half a mile from Siai -no tracks leading to it, so we could not find our way out if we wanted to, and no Jap could ever find us."Mr. Benson, who is 58, has four brothers living at Stockton, No news has yet been received of his youngest brother, captured at the fall of Singapore.

Newcastle Morning Herald and Miner's Advocate Monday 24 September 1945 page 4