BENNINGTON, Alexander John
(Service number 6/413)
The building was opened on 22 October 1923. It still stands today (2019) in the Geraldine Domain. (Courtesy of K Close and P McAuliffe )
| First Rank | Lance Sergeant | Last Rank | Sergeant |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 04/04/1891 | Place of Birth | Christchurch New Zealand |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | 15 August 1914 | Age | 23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | Geraldine | ||
| Occupation | Ironmonger | ||
| Previous Military Experience | Geraldine Territorials (Sgt) | ||
| Marital Status | Single | ||
| Next of Kin | James Bennington (father), Geraldine | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | Main Body | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | Canterbury Infantry Battalion | ||
| Date | 16 October 1914 | ||
| Transport | Tahiti or Athenic | ||
| Embarked From | Lyttelton | Destination | Suez, Egypt |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | Canterbury Infantry Battalion | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | Egypt (Ismailia) & Gallipoli | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal | ||
Award Circumstances and Date
No information
Prisoner of War Information
| Date of Capture | |
|---|---|
| Where Captured and by Whom | |
| Actions Prior to Capture | |
| PoW Serial Number | |
| PoW Camps | |
| Days Interned | |
| Liberation Date |
Death
| Date | 2 June 1915 | Age | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Gallipoli, Turkey | ||
| Cause | Died of wounds | ||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Beach Cemetery, Anzac, Turkey | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | On Memorial wall, Timaru; Geraldine War Memorial, Marble Memorial Tablet Geraldine District High School; Geraldine Hockey Club Memorial Pavilion plaque | ||
Biographical Notes
Alexander, known as Alex, was born in Christchurch 4 April 1891, the son of James & Elizabeth Bennington nee Pitt, Bootmaker, of 184 Talbot Street, Geraldine. He attended the Geraldine District High School and was later employed by R. Morrison, a well-known Geraldine business, as an ironmonger.
Alex had been a Sergeant in the Geraldine territorials where he had been a very keen rifle shooter, a member of the Brass Band, the Swimming Club, played hockey and was greatly esteemed by all who knew him. He enlisted in the Canterbury Infantry Regiment serving in NZ from 15 August to 16 October 1914, and embarked with the Main Body from Lyttleton for Suez, Egypt 16 October 1914 on either the Tahiti or Athenic. He saw action in Ismailia during the defence of the Suez and further action on landing at Gallipoli.
Alex unfortunately suffered a gunshot wound to the head on 1 June 1915 and died the next day in the 1st Australian Casualty Clearance Station. He was buried in the Beach Cemetery at Gallipoli. His medals along with a plaque and scroll were sent to his father in Geraldine at wars end.
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph database (September 2013); Archives NZ (partial military record); Morrison's of Geraldine 1867-1967 by Barbara Harper; Auckland Star 28 June 1915; pyenet.co.nz/familytrees/pye/kelly/np635.html; Waimate Museum & Archives on NZ Museums at http://www.nzmuseums.co.nz/account/3188/object/550815;
External Links
Related Documents
No documents available.
Researched and Written by
Carol Bell; Ted Hansen (SC branch NZSG); Sue Hanham, Waimate Museum & Archives
Currently Assigned to
Not assigned.
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated.