BENNETT, William Henry
| Service Number: | 5235 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | Field Bakeries and Butcheries |
| Born: | Kent Town, SA, 9 October 1891 |
| Home Town: | Norwood (SA), South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Baker |
| Memorials: | Unley U.A.O.D. Britannia Lodge No 32 Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 22 Dec 1914: | Involvement Private, 5235, Field Bakeries and Butcheries, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '22' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Berrima embarkation_ship_number: A35 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 1914: | Embarked Private, 5235, Field Bakeries and Butcheries, HMAT Berrima, Melbourne | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 5235 |
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Son of Mark Smith BENNETT and Minnie Morrison nee BLUNCK
Biography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School
William Henry Bennett was born on October 9, 1891, in Kent Town, SA. He was the son of Mark Smith Bennett and Minnie Morrison. He was 5ft 4 inches and weighed 112lbs. He had blue eyes and dark hair. He identified as a Methodist. Before joining the army he was a Baker and continued to do that in the military by serving in the field bakeries and butcheries unit. On the 28th of November 1914, Bennett enlisted for the Australian Imperial Force in Melbourne. His unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on the A35 Berrima on the 22nd of December, 1914.
Bennett proceeded to Gallipoli 21st May 1915 and was appointed as a Batman to a Captain 7th October 1915 in Mudros. On the 26th of December 1915, he was appointed the rank of Lance Corporal. After the evacuation of the Gallipoli Peninsula he disembarked at Alexandria 3rd January 1916. On the 3rd of March 1916 he transitioned from the 13th to 4th Field Bakery in Tel el Kebir and was promoted to Corporal 5th March 1916. He moved from Alexandria to Marseilles arriving 13th June 1916 and was promoted to temporary Sergeant 4th August 1916. On the 29th of August, 1916, he had an accident involving a knock to the head and fractured the base of his skull, as well as bleeding from the nose. He was treated in France and then sent to England ending up at the 2nd Auxiliary Hospital
After Bennett recovered he proceeded overseas to France on the S.S Princess Clementine on the 3rd of February, 1917. He transferred to the Bield Bakery in Rouen on the 10th February. While stationed in Rouen he met Beatrice Mary Joseph Dennis, whom he later married on March 27th 1918. She was a brush maker and lived in Rouen, France. At the time of marriage she was 21 and he was 28.
On February 26th 1919, Bennett's sister, Miss D.M Bennett, sent a letter asking for any information regarding her brother. March 5th 1919 an officer at base records replies with no information other than William was with his unit, (4th field bakery) and that there had been no records filed on him recently. On October 14th 1919, his mother, Mrs M.M Bennett, writes a letter asking for the whereabouts of her son. On October 20th a reply was received from an officer at the base records. The letter stated that he had no recent reports and his records show him to still be abroad in France.
William Henry Bennett was granted indefinite leave in June 1919 awaiting a family ship suitable to transport him and his wife back to Australia. They returned back to Australia disembarking on the 18th of December 1920. Bennett was discharged 3rd March 1920.
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