Profile

BENNINGTON, Alexander John
(Service number 6/413)

Aliases Alex
First Rank Lance Sergeant Last Rank Sergeant

Birth

Date 4 April 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
Religion Church of England
Medical Information

Military Service

Served with NZ Armed Forces Served in Army
Military District

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
Military Awards

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

Discharge

Date Reason

Hospitals, Wounds, Diseases and Illnesses

Post-war Occupations

Death

Date 2 June 1915 Age 24
Place of Death Gallipoli, Turkey
Cause Died of wounds
Notices
Memorial or Cemetery Beach Cemetery, Anzac, Turkey
Memorial Reference I. H. 5
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.

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