Southam in WW1

Centenary Archive

Honouring those who died and all who served

Private Horace Joseph Bench

“Private Horace Bench youngest son of Richard Bench, of Southam has been gassed and wounded. He has been serving since the commencement of the war and wears the Mons ribbon.”

                                                                                                                                               Rugby Advertiser 7 September 1918.

Born in 1896, one of eight children of Arthur Richard Bench a groom at livery stables and his wife Louisa,  they lived on Banbury Road, Southam. Horace enlisted at a very young age on 14^th October 1914 and served at Mons.  In addition to the British and Victory medals, he was entitled to wear the Mons Star.  This medal indicated that he was with the BEF, or Old Contemptibles as they were affectionately called, in the retreat from Mons.

Private Bench (43692) was serving in the Army Service Corp with the Princess Charlotte of Wales’ Royal Berkshire Regiment when he was gassed and wounded in 1918. More of his ongoing life history is not known.