No.196666, Driver, Percy BENSTEAD
Aged 32
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Percy Benstead was born in Swaffham Prior in 1886 (Newmarket Q1-1887 3B:524), son of William and Mahala BENSTEAD (née NUNN). "Soldiers Died" has him born in Huntingdon but seems to be a mix up the other Percy Benstead's, born locally about that time.
1891 census...Aged 4, he was at High Street, Swaffham Prior with his father William BENSTEAD [49] coal merchant/farmer; his mother Mahala [45]; brothers Arthur J.[16] farm worker, George E [11] farm lad, Bertie [6] and Edwin C [1] and sisters Frances M [13] and Florence L [9]. They were all born in Swaffham Prior. There were 5 elder siblings. 1901 census...Aged [16], he was at High Street, Swaffham Prior with his parents and brothers Bertie and Edwin. He married Daisy Harriet PRINCE [24-2-1890] in Swaffham Prior on 25th February 1911. His father had died in 1909 1911 census...Aged 24, a stableman, he was at High Street, Swaffham Prior, with his wife Daisy [21] born Swaffham Prior. and two daughters, Ivy [1915] and Florence O. [1917]. His mother and brother Bertie were still living in High Street, Swaffham Prior. There was apparently another Benstead family in Swaffham Prior with father William, as a Robert Edward BENSTEAD aged 27, with father William served for 6 months in the 6th Northants in 1916 before being discharged as unlikely to become an efficient soldier. His mother however was Elizabeth (née SHELDRICK) The pension card has his widow at Church View, Swaffham Prior, with their three daughters, Dorothy (b. 12-7-1911), Ivy (22-4-1915) and Florence Olive (29-8-1917) |
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Damascus was entered by Commonwealth forces on 1 October 1918. The first medical unit arriving the next day found the Turkish hospitals crowded with sick and
wounded, and a few days later an epidemic of influenza and cholera broke out. He died in No.66 Casualty Clearing Station, Damascus,his pension card giving malaria as the cause of death.
In an article in the Swaffham Crier June 2005:- "My grandfather died just at the end of the first world war of malaria. It was very sad that he went through all the war and then died just before he came home. My mother was born in 1917 and he never saw her, having already gone back to Egypt. He lived down the Fen road, past the station. He was a very good man. On the winter nights he used to go along the river bank and collect up the gipsy children and put them in the barns, to keep them out of the rain." It has to be remembered that in those days much of that part of the world was just "Egypt", many of the present day states had not even been "invented"
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission and is commemorated in Zion Chapel, Swaffham Prior click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
