Member of the staff at the Public Record Office.
Andrew Behan has researched Bence: Corporal Richard James Bence was born on 12 February 1893 in Islington, the eldest son and the second of the five children of James Edwin Bence and Rosalie Bence née Warren. His father was a Printers Compositor. On 2 July 1900 he was admitted into the Tottenham Road School, 80 Tottenham Road, Dalston where he remained until his removal on 20 June 1902 and family home was recorded as 69 Norfolk Road, Islington. (The school's name was changed to the current De Beauvoir Primary School in 1951 and Norfolk Road was renamed to Mitchison Road in 1938). The 1901 census shows the family residing at 69 Norfolk Road, but by the time of the 1911 census they were living at 52 Morton Road, Islington and his occupation was recorded as a Bookbinder - Letterpress Binder.
In May/June 1915 he enlisted into the 2nd/6th (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (City of London Rifles) and his service number was 3919. In late 1915 he married Georgina Porter and the marriage was registered in the West Ham district. In 1917 army service numbers were changed and his became 321556. He entered France on 3 April 1917 and was presumed dead, killed in action, aged 24 years, on 21 May 1917. As he has no known grave, he is commemorated on Bay 9 of the Arras Memorial, Faubourg-d'Amiens Cemetery, Arras, France. His name is also listed in the Walthamstow War Memorial World War One Book of Honour and he was posthumously awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal. On 15 September 1917 his daughter, Ena Florence Bence was born in Walthamstow and his widow received a £12-10s-0d war gratuity together with his army effects of £1-3s-8d on 14 April 1920.
