No.C/JX 171711, Boy 1st Class, John Alfred BENSTEAD
Aged 17
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John Alfred Benstead was born on 9th August 1923 in Swaffham Prior (Newmarket Q3-1923 3B:786), baptised at St Mary's, Swaffham Prior on 14th October 1923,
son of Sidney Townsend and Ada Elizabeth BENSTEAD (née DIAPER). His father was a plasterer's labourer born 1876 in Swaffham Prior, his mother ( 2nd wife of Sidney) was born 1891 in Ipswich.
In the 1939 register, at High Street, Swaffham Prior were his father Sidney [1-8-1876] plasterer's labourer; his mother Elizabeth [4-9-1888]; brothers Charles R [22-10-1914], Reginald C [29-8-1916], Ronald [11-9-1925] all farm labourers, and Frederick [11-9-1927] There are 3 closed records. |
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HMS Gloucester was launched in 1937, commissioned in February 1939, a "Town" Class cruiser carrying 12 x 6" guns.
She formed part of a naval force acting against German military transports to Crete. On 22 May 1941, while in the Kithera Channel, about 14 miles (26 km) north of Crete, she was attacked by German Stuka dive bombers and sank, having sustained at least four heavy bomb hits and three near-misses. Of the 807 men aboard at the time of her sinking, only 85 survived. There was much controversy at the time as to why she and HMS Fiji, although very low on ammunition were sent to support the rescue of survivors from HMS Greyound. Due to air attack and further depletion of ammunition they were given permission to return to the fleet and it was on this return that they were attacked. HMS Fiji was sunk later in the day.
  photographs from one of the attacking Stukas photo; Commonwealth War Graves Commission click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
