BENNIER, Alfred James
| Service Number: | 586 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Trooper |
| Last Unit: | 6th South Australian Imperial Bushmen |
| Born: | 1878, place not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Mount Gambier, Mount Gambier, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Died of Wounds, Cornelia River Mafube, Free State, South Africa , 27 May 1901 |
| Cemetery: |
Harrismith Cemetery, South Africa |
| Memorials: | Adelaide Boer War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Mount Gambier Boer War Memorial, North Adelaide St Peter's Cathedral Boer War Honour Roll |
Boer War Service
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Trooper, 586, 6th South Australian Imperial Bushmen | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Apr 1901: | Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 586, 6th South Australian Imperial Bushmen, Departed Port Adelaide on the Warrigal. | |
| 27 May 1901: | Wounded Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Trooper, 586, 6th South Australian Imperial Bushmen, Friendly fire incident. Shot after being misidentified by forward scouts as an approaching enemy. | |
| 27 May 1901: | Discharged Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Trooper, 586, 6th South Australian Imperial Bushmen, Died of Wounds. |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Maurice Kissane
Alfred James Bennier is the son of Alfred and Amelia Bennier. His parents were married in South Australia in 1875. The family lived the Compton locality near Mt Gambier. This was a sheep and cattle grazing area. Mt Gambier being both the local commercial centre and closest Township.
Alfred was named after his father. He likely worked on the land. Alfred was a good horseman but only a fair shot. He first volunteered and was assessed by Capt. Wilson in Mt Gambier c 21 Jan 1900. As per Oz-Boer Database. Capt. Wilson was later Surgeon for both the 5th and 6th South Australian Imperial Bushmen.
These units were raised, equipped and dispatched sequentualy from Port Adelaide in 1901. However, both these South Australian contingents were later amalgamated in South Africa, to fight as a regiment.
No 586 TPR Alfred Bennier 6th S.A.I.B. fell victim to a friendly fire incident. He was riding towards the position occuplied by the 5th S.A.I.B. at a time when their forward scouts were expecting a Boer attack. He was misidentified as an approaching Boer combatant. Then shot at 200 yards by No 320 SGT R J Ferry 5th S.A.I.B. He had acted on advice of his forward scouts.
However 6th S.A.I.B. elements who were were repositioning themselves, had rode onwards past their allocated position. They went a kopjie or drift too far. Further, there was a Boer dog that had tagged along with 6th S.A.I.B. Troopers that morning. The barking Boer dog had presumably spotted or smelt concealed 5th S.A.I.B. Troopers. It was the barking dog that confirmed to SGT Roland Ferry 5th S.A.I.B. that these unknown riders were Boers. The unidentified armed riders were fast approaching his section's position.
SGT Roland Ferry 5th S.A.I.B. who fired the fatal shot, was later promoted to R.S.M. However, not before he wrote to Alfred's parents. His letter was published in the Mt Gambier newspaper on 7 August 1901. SGT Roland Ferry recounts his horror when he discovered that he had shot a comrade. However, when dying Alfred enquired from Roland as to who shot him. Sgt Roland Ferry immediately confessed his guilt or error. The Boer dog that 5th S.A.I.B. had pick up that morning had worked great mischief. However, friendly fire incidents can and do happen. The facts in this case meant that neither SGT Roland Ferry nor his 5th S.A.I.B. section were found liable for Alfred's death.
Lest We Forget.
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