WENDON, Benjamin
Private 35146
ESSEX REGIMENT, 13th Battalion
6th Brigade, 2nd Division.
Died Tuesday, 24th July 1917. Aged 32
BORN Wakes Colne
Son of Frederick and Elizabeth Wendon, of Wakes Colne, Essex. He lived at Abberton with his wife Agnes. Post war in 1920, his widow remarried to Charles William Watling and at that time her address is given as Borleys Cottages, Abberton.
His widow lived to the age of 77 and died 29th August 1965. She is buried on the South side of Saint Andrew's Churchyard. The 1901 Census shows that Ben had a sister Elizabeth 21, and brothers George 13 - a farm labourer and James 18 - a stockman. His father is listed as a boot maker.
This is a picture of Edward Wendon, the son of Benjamin, taken at Langenhoe School.
Ben had previously been enrolled with the Suffolk Regiment as Private 28356 (*). However, he was called up to serve with the 13th Battalion of The Essex Regiment. He earned the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.
The 13th Battalion were raised by the Mayor of the Borough of West Ham on the 27th December 1914. They moved to France 17th November 1915. During 1916 the were involved in the Battle of the Somme and subsequently saw action in Delville Wood and the Ancre Offensive.
Communication trench Delville Wood July 1916 (Imperial War Museum Q4417)
At the time of his death, the 13th Battalion were holding the front line South of Ypres between there and Arras. The following are abstracts from the War Diary of the unit:-
"21st July 1917 Battalion holding line. Consolidation & repairs to trenches continued. Enemy snipers & machine guns active, also our machine guns. Usual patrols sent out.
22nd July Battalion holding line. Enemy quiet during night but intermittently shelled Front Line & Richmond Terrace during the day with Trench Mortars and 4.2s. Consolidation of trenches continued. Wiring parties active.
23rd July Battalion holding line. Intermittent shelling by both sides. Consolidation of line continued. 1 Other rank killed. 1 Other Rank wounded. (Presumably the casualty is Ben, as on the next day they are relieved and no other casualty is listed.)
24th July Battalion relieved by 17th Middlesex Regiment and took over the Support Area as follows:-
D Company Givenchy Keeps under O.C. 1st Kings
A Company under O.C. 17th Middlesex
B & C Companies to Billets at Windy Corner."
He is commemorated on the War Memorial at WAKES COLNE and GORRE BRITISH AND INDIAN CEMETERY, Pas de Calais. His grave is IV.C.16.
Gorre is a hamlet 2.5 kilometres east of Beuvry. Leave Beuvry on the D72, crossing the railway and then the Canal d'Aire on the way. The Cemetery is 150 metres from the church in Gorre, to the left of the D72.
The Chateau was occupied early in the War by British and Indian troops; and the Cemeteries, in the South-East corner of the Chateau grounds, were begun in the autumn of 1914. The Indian Cemetery was closed in October, 1915, with the transfer of the Indian Corps to the East. The British Cemetery was used by units holding the sector until April, 1918, when, in the Battles of the Lys, Gorre became a support post close to the front line. The Ground was never taken by the enemy. There are now over 900, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. The cemetery covers 6334 square metres and is partly enclosed by a low rubble wall.
REFERENCES
Information obtained from The Commonwealth War Graves web site. www.
cwgc.org/(*) The Naval & Military Press issued a CD Rom entitled "Soldiers Died in the Great War".
The picture of Delville Wood is presented with the kind permission of the Imperial War Museum, who own the copyright. The pictures of the medals were kindly provided by Worcestershire Medal Service Ltd.
10/26/02 last updated
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These pages are dedicated to the memory of the Fallen from the two World Wars, who lived in Abberton & Langenhoe.. Prepared by Saint Andrew's Parochial Church Council. November 11th 2000