Genealogy Chat

Thanks for the all information I received - I am now in touch with his Grandson and am able to share information with him.

Thanks again

Sara


I am trying to find some information on a relation who died at sea in 1941 - unfortunately I have very little information.

Can anyone give me some suggestions.

Thanks

What do you want to know? How much do you know already? Was the death war-related? Have you checked findmypast for the registration? Reg

Hi Reggie The only information that I have at the moment is that his name is Arthur Benson and was married to a lady called Ada. As far as my mum is aware he served in the Merchant Navy so it is possibly war related, however she doesn't know much more than that. Sorry

Hi, Arthur is listed as being killed during WWII and is commemorated at Tower Hill Memorial, London http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2770612 BENSON, ARTHUR Initials: A Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Pioneer Corps Unit Text: 50 Coy., Aux. Mil. Age: 45 Date of Death: 17/06/1940 Service No: 13002444 Additional information: Son of William Henry and Emily Benson; husband of Ada Evelyn Benson, of Berwick-in-Elmet, Yorkshire. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Column 149. Memorial: DUNKIRK MEMORIAL If this is the correct Arthur then he was not in the Merchant Navy but in the Pioneer Corps ' A typical pioneers job was this - be present under shell fire all day in support of the main attack. Then move forward and grab ground and dig trenches in so called no man's land under enemy fire at night. Go back before day break, sleep and start all over again. Casualties no object! ' Captain G S Fillingham, 1916. Cheers Paul

The Auxillary Military Pioneer Corps (AMPC) later became known as the Pioneer Corps and is now the Royal Logistics Corps (RLC). If Arthur died at sea I would venture to suggest that at Dunkirk he had been rescued and brought on board a boat or ship which was then attacked by German aircraft. On that day, RMS Lancastria was sunk by German aircraft off St Nazaire, France. On Monday the 17th of June, 1940 at 3.48pm the requisitioned Cunard cruise liner, Lancastria came under attack from enemy aircraft. She received three direct hits from a German Junkers 88 bomber and within 20 minutes, the 16,243-ton luxury liner sank, taking with her an estimated 4,000 victims. Arthur's 50 company of the AMPC was on board. The sinking is the worst single disaster in British maritime history, and claimed more victims than the sinking of the Titanic and Lusitania combined. It is also the largest single loss of life for British forces in the whole of World War 2. It is a disaster which has remained largely forgotten by the history books and that in part has led to a silence which continues to this day. The immense loss of life was such that the British government banned any public announcements of the disaster through the D-Notice system. The story was broken by the New York Times and The Scotsman newspaper on July 26 and the British press did make brief mention of the story. Due to the imposition of the D-Notice, survivors and the crews of the ships that had gone to the aid of Lancastria did not discuss the disaster at the time due to the fear of court martial. The British Government is refusing to make the site a war grave under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 despite Freedom of Information documents proving this could be achieved, although the French Government recently placed an exclusion zone around the wreck site.

Fascinating reply Paul, I've never even heard of the Lancastria. Some cover-up. Duncan

I've just found the confirmation that I'm correct on: http://www.lancastria.org.uk/Victim_List/Victim_List/victim_list_76.html and http://www.pro-patria-mori(.)co(.)uk/id90.html

Hi Paul, You learn something new every day. Thanks for the info. Bye Paul

Hi Paul, A nice bit of detective work. Bye Paul

You may find that Arthur's first name was actually Reynell if the following is him on the 1901 census: 1901 England Census about Reynell A Benson Name: Reynell A Benson Age: 6 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1895 Relation: Son Father's Name: William Hy Mother's Name: Emily Gender: Male Where born: Morley, Yorkshire, England Civil Parish: Morley Ecclesiastical parish: Morley St Paul Town: Morley County/Island: Yorkshire Country: England Street address: 68 Great Northern Street Registration district: Dewsbury Sub-registration district: Morley ED, institution, or vessel: 6 Household schedule number: 78 Emily Benson 28 born Morley George A Benson 1 born Morley Reynell A Benson 6 born Morley William Henry Benson 29 born Morley Mechanic, fitter England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index: 1837-1983 Name: Reynell Arthur Benson Year of Registration: 1894 Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep District: Dewsbury County: Yorkshire - West Riding, West Yorkshire Volume: 9b Page: 582 He served in WW1: Medal card of Benson, Reynell A Royal Field Artillery 185332 Gunner Catalogue reference WO 372/2 Number of image files: 1

Sara, are you there? Have we identified your Arthur?

Hi Sorry about not replying earlier been busy at home. Thanks very much it certainly looks like the right Arthur Benson. Sara