Lance Sergeant Godfrey Arthur Bennett
6th Battalion, AIF
by Robert Simpson
Godfrey Arthur Bennett was born in Balwyn Victoria on 31st July 1894, a son to George Jesse Bennett and Harriet Ann Bentley. His birth record has his name as Arth Godfrey Bennett, but nowhere else is it listed this way. George had been previously married to Charlotte Hancock in 1872 in Victoria. They had five children and the youngest passed away at 3 months in 1880. Charlotte passed away in 1881 and he remarried to Harriet Ann Bentley in 1885. They had six children, two dying in childhood. Harriet May Bennett was born in 1888 and died in 1889 and George Percival Bennett was born in 1891 and died in 1900. The other three sons and daughter all lived to adulthood. Godfrey was the youngest child. George was a school teacher, originally from South Africa, and they lived at 8 Cross St Canterbury in the 1900’s and 1910’s.
Godfrey enlisted on 17th August 1914 in Melbourne as 764 Lance Sergeant in the 6th Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade Australian Imperial Expeditionary Force. The 6th was one of the first Battalions raised for the war. It was raised within a couple of weeks of the war being declared. His records say he was born in Camberwell, Canterbury and he was 20 years and 1 month old when he joined. He was a natural born British Subject and his occupation was a Clerk. His father was listed as next of kin at the Cross St. address. Physical details include: height 5 foot 9 inches, weight 12 stone, chest measurement 36 to 39 inches, fair complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. Religious denomination was Presbyterian. He was posted to G Company and his terms of service was for the duration of the war and 4 months afterwards. Prior military service included 1 year Senior Cadets and 2 years Citizens Forces in the 48th Infantry. He signed his name as Godfrey Arthur Bennett. Pay was 9 shillings a day. He embarked on HMAT Hororata A20 on 19th October 1914 from Melbourne. From Alexandria on 5th April 1915 he embarked to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force with the Gallipoli Campaign. The Battalion was part of the second wave that landed at Gallipoli on the 25th April.
With his brother Henry in charge, about 300 of the Battalion moved to an advance position on Pine Ridge during the first day of the landing, after quickly moving over a couple of ridges. Henry was wounded and forced to retire to seek treatment while they were consolidating the position. While away, the Turkish forces counterattacked the position, surrounded the men there and all were killed including Godfrey. He was killed on 25th April 1915 at Gallipoli and it is not known where he was buried. Initially he was posted as missing by his Commanding Officer. A court of enquiry on 24th April 1916 found he was killed in action on that day. The finding of the Court was “dead”. Witness statements were gathered by the Red Cross to assist. Lance Corporal A. T. Hope 207 stated he was in the landing, he saw him a few minutes afterwards and soon after it he picked up his cigarette case and gave it to Colonel Bennett. That was the last time he saw him and he believed him to be dead. Staff Sergeant Gay of the 6th Regiment stated that on 18th June 1915 his body was found at Queen’s Post. (Probably a typing error and it should be Quinn’s Post). He is mentioned on Panel 25 of the wall of the Memorial at Lone Pine Cemetery. Apparently in 1919, their remains were found high up on Gun Ridge, the farthest point the Australians had penetrated to on that day.
His eldest brother, Henry Gordon Bennett born 15th April 1887 in Balwyn, also served. In the 1914 Electoral Roll at Strathfieldsaye Bendigo he was listed as an apiarist with his address as Longlea, although he was working with AMP at that time. He was a Major in the 6th Battalion and left Melbourne on 19th October 1914 on HMAT Hororata A20 with his brother. Henry became the youngest General in the Australian Army. He was awarded many awards including: Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, Montenegrin Order of Danilo Third Class, Companion of the Order of the Bath and was Mentioned in Despatches eight times. In WW2 he was in charge of the 8th Brigade and during the fall of Singapore escaped back to Australia. After the war a court of enquiry found he was not justified in leaving, amidst protestations from his men of the 8th Brigade. He died 1st October 1962 in Dural, New South Wales.
A half-brother, William Stanley Bennett born 1879 also served. He embarked in May 1917 as Private 6924 in the 24th Battalion and was promoted to Lieutenant and transferred to the 10th Battalion. While there he was MID and awarded the Military Cross and Distinguished Service Order. He returned to Australia in 1919.
On 17th September 1915 his brother, Reginald E Bennett of Cross St wrote to Base Records saying that he had heard that Godfrey had been wounded and was sent to a hospital at Gibraltar and wanted to confirm that. From further enquiries it was established that he was not there and as there was no official report on him yet, he would be notified when more information was forthcoming. But there was no brother named Reginald, the only one he could be was Alfred Edward Bennett, born 1889. Why he would change his first name is not known. Another letter was sent by Bertram Jones, who was the husband of Maude Ethel Bennett (born 1885, married 1913). He wrote from “Crawford” St Georges Dr, Mount Albert on 15th July 1915 that he had heard from Major Bennett (Godfrey’s brother) that Godfrey was on the “Braemore Castle” wounded and he had heard it from someone else. His brother also stated he was not in the firing line, even though there was no confirmation of him being missing. He was looking for a reply to relieve the minds of Godfrey’s parents and his wife. The reply stated that no record had been sent to show him missing, but a cable wound be sent to clarify the matter and next of kin notified when a reply was received. A cable was sent to Cairo. A memorial to him was placed in The Argus on Wednesday 25th September 1917 by his parents.
George wrote to the Officer in charge for distribution of Peace Day tickets, asking if he and his wife could have tickets to the steps of Parliament House and they were issued the next day. George passed away on 10th June 1920 and it was noted on the service record of Godfrey that next of kin was now his mother, Mrs H. A. Bennett c/o A. E. Bennett 62 A.M.P. Chambers Perth, then c/o Mrs Marchant Springvale Rd Tunstall Victoria. She had sent a letter confirming the change of address to Western Australia and then her return to Victoria on 5th August. A letter had been sent on 29th July 1920 to Mr Bennett at Cross St asking if he would fill in a form for Godfrey and saying that an intensive search was being made over all old battlefields to find unregistered graves and if so he would be notified. If nothing was found, his name would be placed on a memorial nearest to where he fell. The form was not filled in. but returned by his mother with notes on the side that there was no need to fill in the details on the form as his body was never found. It is signed by his father, but can’t be as he was already dead. His mother signed for his Star on 3rd September 1920, a Memorial Scroll on 6th July 1921, his Victory Medal on 7th July 1922 and his Memorial Plaque on 6th October 1922. In June 1921 Base Records wrote to Harriet, asking if there was any letters she may have received that would help them find his last resting place so they might be able to identify his grave. Her reply included the following; “My son was seen alive at Gallipoli and the Turks were close on him on 25th April 1915. After a few months he was reported as missing by the Defence Department. I have not been able to find anything out since.” Also in 1921, Base Records were wondering what had happened to his 1914-15 Star as it had been posted to his father, who was now deceased and had sent a letter to 3rd Military District in search of it.
He was entitled to the 1914-15 Star, British War and Victory medals. He was also awarded an Australian Senior Cadet Competition Medal 1911-1914.
ANZAC Biographies
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