Stanley Octavius BENJAMIN
Stanley Benjamin was born on 15 July 1880 in South Melbourne, Victoria. His parents were Sir Benjamin and Fanny (née Cohen) Benjamin. He attended Scotch from 1891 to 1896. Stanley had what The Scotch Collegian called ‘a particularly brilliant career’ at Scotch. He won the prizes in Classics and Mathematics, and the Argus prize in English. He passed the old Matriculation exams during 1895 with honours in French, Greek and Latin, and won the Robert Simson Prize for the VIth class. In 1896 he was a member of the Firsts in cricket and football. The latter team won the premiership that year.
Stanley was an insurance clerk and actuary for AMP when he enlisted on 15 January 1915 at Sydney. He served in the 1st Field Artillery Brigade, 4th Division Artillery, 1st Divisional Ammunition Column with the rank of Bombardier. His Regimental Number was 3959. His brother and fellow Old Scotch Collegian Oswald also served in the AIF.
Stanley died on 23 November 1916 at Montauban, France. He was 36 years of age.
Service record
Stanley was in the pre-war militia artillery for some 10 years. Nevertheless when he enlisted he was made a Gunner, the artillery equivalent of a Private, in artillery reinforcements for the 1st Field Artillery Brigade. He left Sydney on 10 April 1915. He was on Gallipoli as a member of the 3rd Battery in November 1915, though it is unclear whether he was there earlier: his record seems to imply that he first arrived there in May.
In February 1916 he was transferred to the 4th Division Artillery. In March he was taken on strength of the 21st Howitzer Brigade and was posted to the Brigade Ammunition Column, with whom he disembarked at Marseille, France on 1 April 1916. He joined the 1st Divisional Ammunition Column on 15 May 1916 and was promoted to Bombardier (the artillery equivalent of corporal). On 23 November that year he was drawing his section’s rations at the supply depot in Montauban when wounded by the explosion of a German shell.
The Scotch Collegian of 1919 said he was ‘blown some distance’ and ‘killed instantaneously’. However, he officially died of wounds, rather than instantly. His captain wrote of Stanley’s ability and attention to duty and said that he intended to recommend him for promotion. The captain continued that Stanley’s ‘quiet and earnest demeanour was appreciated by his comrades, with whom he was very popular.’ He was initially buried at Montauban.
Stanley Benjamin was subsequently buried in the Dantzig Alley British Cemetery (Plot IX, Row P, Grave No. 8), Mametz, France.
Sources:
- Australian War Memorial – Roll of Honour
- Mishura Scotch Database
- National Archives of Australia – B2455, BENJAMIN S O
- Scotch Collegian 1917, 1919
- The AIF Project - https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=19859
