Bennett, Roy Victor (b.1895 - d.1918)

Places	Europe: Belgium, Flanders, West-Vlaanderen, Broodseinde Europe: Belgium, Flanders, West-Vlaanderen, Passchendaele Europe: France, Picardie, Somme, Albert Bapaume Area, Pozieres Area, Mouquet Farm Europe: France, Picardie, Somme, Albert Bapaume Area, Pozieres Area, Pozieres
Accession Number	PR04851
Collection type	Private Record
Record type	Collection
Measurement	1 wallet: 1 cm
Object type	Letter, Newspaper cutting
Maker	Australian Army
Date made	1918
Access	Open
Conflict	First World War, 1914-1918
Copyright	Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain This item is in the Public Domain
Copying Provisions	Copyright expired. Copying permitted subject to physical condition. Permission for reproduction not required.

Description

Collection relating to the First World War service of 3766 Private Roy Victor Bennett 23 Battalion. [item 1] Letter from the AIF, 21/5/1918, informing the Bennett family that Pte Bennett was killed in action on 5/10/1917. [item 2] Newspaper cutting with small portrait of Pte Bennett. These items were the cherished possessions of Roy's brother John Prendergast Bennett, who was 13 at the time of his elder brother's death.

History / Summary

Roy Victor Bennett was born in January 1895 in West Melbourne, Victoria. He was one of 11 children. When he enlisted on 31 July 1915, he was married, and was working as an iron moulder.
Bennet embarked from Melbourne on HMAS Warilda on 8 February 1916 with 23 Infantry Battalion - 9 to 12 Reinforcements. Arriving first in Alexandria, he then embarked for Marseille on HMT Oriana on 21 March 1916. Bennet then disembarked in Marseille several days later on 27 March. That same year towards the end of June, whilst attached to 1st ANZAC Entrenching Battalion, Bennett marched out from Etaples. On 12 July he was taken on strength to join 23 Battalion. At this time 23 Battalion fought in the horrific battles of Pozieres (23 July -7 August) and Mouquet Farm (8 August - 3 September), after which it was estimated that the Battalion lost almost 90 per cent of its original members.
On 16 September 1916 Bennett was sent to hospital, with what was diagnosed as valvular disease of the heart. He then suffered an episode of shell shock. He was sent to England for treatment which he received at Sycamore Military Hospital, Nottingham, followed by 2nd Auxillary Hospital, Wareham. Bennett was not released until late November that year. Still in England, from February to May 1917, Bennett was fined heavily for several instances of AWL.
Bennett rejoined his unit on 20 September 1917. By this time, 23 Battalion had moved with the rest of the AIF to the Ypres sector in Belgium, and from 4 October participated in the battle to secure Broodseinde Ridge. It was here on 5 October 1917, that Bennett was first reported missing in action. He was later confirmed as having been killed in action. Australian divisions suffered 6,500 casualties during this battle.