Lieutenant Arthur Charles Bennett
| Date of Birth | 3 May 1899 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 19 |
| Date of Death | 23 September 1918 |
| Service Number | |
| Military Service | 142 Squadron Royal Air Force |
| Merton Address | 397 Kingston Road, Merton Park |
| Local Memorial | Raynes Park Methodist Church |
Additional Information
Born in Camberwell on 3 May 1899, Arthur was the fourth child of commercial clerk, Sydney Bennett and his wife, Sarah. Arthur’s eldest sibling was his sister, Edith. He also had two older brothers, Herbert and Horace and a younger brother William.
For the first decade of Arthur’s life his family lived at 27 Sydney Road, Raynes Park and by 1911 his father was employed as a hardware manager. Arthur attended Tiffin School, a successful endowed school opened in 1880 in the Fairfield district of Kingston upon Thames. On completing his education, Arthur became an audit clerk. His home address was then listed as 397 Kingston Road, Merton Park.
During the first stages of the war young men were encouraged to volunteer for military service. Conscription was introduced in March 1916 for those aged 18 to 41, so by 1917 Arthur had reached enlistment age. In March of that year, keen to fly, he wrote to the Commanding Officer of the Royal Flying Corps to ask about becoming a pilot. He was accepted for training and obtained a temporary commission as 2nd Lieutenant on 1 August 1917.
By 1918 Arthur was serving in the Middle East with 142 Squadron of the newly formed RAF. Tragically he was killed in action in Palestine on 23 September, aged just 19. He was buried in the Jerusalem War Cemetery and is also commemorated at Raynes Park Methodist Church
Records show that his personal effects amounted to £214 0s 6d.