Campaign Groups and Pairs

Four: Captain H. Bennett, Royal Fusiliers, later 2nd/3rd Gurkha Rifles, who was killed in action at Neuve-Chapelle on 14 November 1914 Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, the OFS clasp a tailor’s copy (Lieut: H. Bennett. Royal Fus:); 1914 Star (Capt: H. Bennett. 2/3 Gurkha Rif.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. H. Bennett.) edge nicks to QSA, otherwise nearly extremely fine (4) £300-£400 --- Harold Bennett was born on 11 April 1882, and was educated at Uppingham School. Enlisting for service in the Boer War with the 5th (Militia) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment, he served in South Africa and was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers, later transferring to the Essex Regiment. He transferred to the Indian Army on 12 November 1905, and was appointed to the 2nd/3rd Gurkha Rifles. Shortly before the outbreak of war in August 1914 Bennett was at home on leave, when he received an urgent message to join his regiment at Port Said in Egypt and travel with them to Marseilles, where he landed in France with the Indian Corps on 13 October 1914, the 2/3rd Gurkhas forming part of the Garwhal Brigade, before moving on to Northern France. It was here that they first engaged with the German troops who had mounted a massive push to clear the road to Calais. On the evening of 13 November 1914 an attack was launched on a German trench, located fifty yards from the junction of the trenches of the 1st/39th and 2nd/39th Garhwalis. The assaulting party consisted of six platoons of the 2nd/3rd Gurkhas with 50 rifles of the 2nd/39th Garhwalis. The attack commenced at 9.15 p.m. after a fifteen minute artillery bombardment but the Germans were prepared with searchlights and strategically positioned machine-guns. The assaulting party charged but was met with a withering fire - in the first few moments, all the British and Gurkha officers in the centre and the left were shot down. Despite further futile attempts to renew the attack, the drastically depleted party was forced to retire. The losses were extremely heavy in proportion to the small number engaged; four British officers were killed with two wounded and more than 95 other ranks as casualties. Bennett when last seen was wounded in the right leg but still leading his men under searchlight and in the face of machine gun fire. Reported missing presumed killed in action on 13 November 1914, he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Neuve-Chapelle Indian Memorial, France. Sold with copied research including a photographic image of the recipient.