Edward Aubrey BENSON
Edward Benson was born on 23 September 1895 in Murrumbeena, Victoria. His parents were Edward Augustus Murray and Minnie (née Womersley) Benson. He attended Scotch from 1904 to 1912. He was a Lieutenant in Cadets.
Edward was a salesman when he enlisted on 28 September 1914 at Melbourne. He served in the 14th Battalion with the rank of Lance Sergeant. His Regimental Number was 554.
Edward died on 10 June 1915 at No. 1 General Hospital, Heliopolis, Egypt. He was 19 years of age.
Service record
Edward entered the army as a Private, but by 1 February 1915 (4 months later) was a Lance Sergeant (i.e. a Corporal acting as a Sergeant), despite his youth. Presumably his experience in cadets at Scotch College was a factor in that promotion. He did not accompany his battalion to Gallipoli, for he was admitted to hospital on Lemnos Island on 19 April 1915 with otitis media (inflammation of the middle ear). A month later he was transferred to Alexandria, and then within a few days to Heliopolis. His death on 10 June 1915 was diagnosed as ‘Meningitis cerebral pressure’.
The 1915 The Scotch Collegian says that he died after developing sunstroke while at the Convalescent Home in Egypt. The AIF Project website quotes an unknown source on his war service: ‘he died “without having had an opportunity to enter the firing line.”’
Edward Benson is buried in the Cairo War Memorial Cemetery, Cairo, Egypt.
Sources:
- Australian War Memorial – Roll of Honour,
- National Archives of Australia – B2455, BENSON EA
- Scotch Collegian 1915
- The AIF Project - https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=20640
