Worked for the Great Northern Railway and died in WW1.
In 2009 we were contacted by Tina Rickward, telling us she was the grand-niece of the man who appears as 'Benger A. H.' on the King's Cross war memorial in King's Cross Station, (her grandfather was his brother). She gave us his date of death as 17 April 1917 and told us that he is buried in the Mazingarbe Communal Cemetery extension in France.
Our genealogy consultant, Andrew Behan, endeavoured to research the man who appears as 'Benger A. H.' on the war memorial, but found that there were two men listed as A. H. Benger who, according to the Commonwealth War Commission's website, died in World War One, i.e. Major Alfred Horace Benger (1877-1917) and Air Mechanic 2nd Class Alfred Harvey Benger (1897-1918). As Major Alfred Horace Benger died on 17 April 1917 was buried in Plot 1, Row F, Grave 11 in the Mazingarbe Communal Cemetery Extension, 31 Rue de Carency, 62670 Mazingarbe, France, and that Air Mechanic 2nd Class Alfred Harvey Benger did not have a brother, it is the Major to whom Tina Rickward refers. However, we are not convinced that the Major was the person commemorated on the memorial.
Andrew's researches on the two men are as follows:-
Alfred Horace Benger was born on 15 December 1877, in Herne Hill, Surrey (now Greater London), the youngest of the five children of Alfred Benger (c.1842-1922) and Susan Benger née Pinnegar (c.1844-1877). His mother died on 22 December 1877, 7 days after his birth that was registered in the 4th quarter of 1877 in the Lambeth Registration District, Surrey (now Greater London).
On 7 July 1878 he was baptised in St Matthew's Church, Brixton Hill, Brixton, Surrey (now Greater London), where in the baptismal register his date of birth is confirmed, that his family address was Chaucer Road, Brixton and that his father was a civil servant.
In the 1881 census he was shown as aged 3 years and a boarder at the home of a Susan Roper and her family at 40 Brighton Terrace, Stockwell, Lambeth.
When the 1891 census was undertaken he was listed as aged 13 years and a student, living at 36 Baldry Gardens, Streatham, London, with his widower father who was described as a senior examiner in the India Audit Office and his four siblings: Ethel Mary Noel Benger (1871-1953); Thomas Harold Benger (1873-1949) - a clerk; Harry Cecil Benger - a student and Katherine Jane Benger (1876-1943) also a student, together with a female general domestic servant.
He is described as aged 23 years and an insurance clerk in the 1901 census, living at Stanley Lodge, High Road, Streatham, with his widower father, who was employed as a civil servant in the India Office and three of his siblings: Thomas Harold Benger - a clerk, East India Agents; Harry Cecil Benger - a banker's clerk and Katherine Jane Benger, together with a cook and a housemaid.
When the 1911 census return form was completed by his father, he was shown as aged 33 years and an insurance broker working on his own account and living in a twelve roomed property at Fairholme, 10 Park Hill Rise, Croydon, Surrey (now Greater London). His father described himself as a retired India Office civil servant. Also on the census form was his brother, Harry Cecil Benger, a banker's clerk employed by Lloyds Bank, together with a housekeeper and a cook.
Electoral registers from 1913 to 1915 show him listed at his office at 22 Buckingham Street, Westminster, London and that his abode remained as Fairholme, 10 Park Hill Rise, Croydon.
He married Dorothy Lewis Manby (1889-1970) in the 4th quarter of 1916 in the Teesdale Registration District, Durham.
According to his medal card he first enlisted as a Private in the 19th (Service) Battalion (2nd Public Schools), The Royal Fusiliers, service number PS/1266 but was subsequently commissioned as a Major in the Leicestershire Regiment. He entered France on 26 March 1916 and was serving in his regiment's 11th Battalion when he died of his wounds, aged 39 years, on 17 April 1917. His body was buried in Plot 1, Row F, Grave 11 in the Mazingarbe Communal Cemetery Extension, 31 Rue de Carency, 62670 Mazingarbe, France.
Probate records confirm that his address had been 10 Park Hill Rise, Croydon and that when probate was granted on 6 June 1917 to his widow, his effects totalled £1,608-8s-11d. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal, both being sent to his father at 18 Ashburton Road, Croydon.
He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website, on the A Street Near You website, on a memorial tablet in All Saints Church, Church Lane, Down Ampney, GL7 5QW and on the Royal British Legion's Every One Remembered website.
Alfred Harvey Benger was born 15 August 1897 in Stoke Newington, London, the elder child of Alfred Thomas Benger (1865-1922) and Amelia Annie Benger née Lee (1873-1969). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1897 in the Hackney Registration District, London. On 5 September 1897 he was baptised at St Mary's Church, Stoke Newington Church Street, London, N16 and in the baptismal register his family are shown as living at 85 Winston Road, Stoke Newington. His father recorded as a compositor.
In the 1901 census he is shown as aged 3 years and living in four rooms at 85 Winston Road, Stoke Newington with his parents and his sister Lily Winifred Benger (1899-1974). His father was described as a printer's compositor.
When his father completed his 1911 census return form he showed Alfred Harvey Benger as aged 13 years and at school, living with his parents and his sister in a five roomed property at 25 Russell Avenue, Noel Park, Wood Green, London N, together with a 78-year-old female boarder of independent means. He described himself as a compositor.
He enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps on 30 August 1916, service number 44265 and was serving as an Air Mechanic 2nd Class, employed as a clerk and a wireless operator, when he died of consumption contracted on overseas service, aged 20 years, on 7 March 1918, in the Edmonton Military Hospital (now the North Middlesex University Hospital). His death was registered in the 1st quarter of 1918 in the Edmonton Registration District, Middlesex (now Greater London) and his body was buried in Grave 5032 in Tottenham Cemetery, White Hart Lane, London, N17 8AU.
On 11 June 1918 his army effects totalling £5-0s-8d were sent to his mother who was also sent his £6-10s-0d war gratuity on 17 December 1919. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is also commemorated as '2ND. A. M. BENGER, A. H.' on the Wood Green War Memorial, opposite the Civic Centre, High Road, Wood Green, Haringey, London, N22 7GS on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website, on the A Street Near You website and on the Royal British Legion's Every One Remembered website.
Although we have been unable to establish any connection to service in the Great Northern Railway by either of these two men, we believe on the balance of probabilities that Air Mechanic 2nd Class Alfred Harvey Benger, who lived in North London was more likely to have been an employee of the railway company than Major Alfred Horace Benger who we know had been involved in insurance since 1901, and who was an insurance broker working on his own account in 1911 and lived in Surrey.
Credit for this entry to: Tina Rickward
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