Timothy Benson
Timothy Benson, 200774 Private, 8th Bn., King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regt.) Killed in Action (KIA), 26th September 1917. Age 27.
Timothy was the eldest son of John Rawlinson Benson, a carter and Mary Agnes Benson, of Bank Close, Newton-in-Cartmel. He was born at Ayside and lived in Silverdale in 1911, working on his 76 year old grandfather, Richard Rowlinson's farm at Waterslack, Silverdale Lane. He originally enlisted in 1/4th King's Own at Ulverston, on 21st December 1914, at the age of 25 years 3 months and was given the number 3085. He must have been transferred to the 8th Battalion at a later date.
The 8th Battalion King's Own were members of 76th Brigade, 3rd. Division, V Corps alongside the 2nd Suffolks, 10th Royal Welsh Fusiliers and the 1st Gordons during the Battle of Polygon Wood, part of 3rd Ypres, on Wednesday, 26th September 1917.
Assembly trenches were marked out by Lt Phipps during the 25th and the battalion was in position by 12.45 am on the 26th. The objective of the operation was to take Zonnebeke village and its associated (relatively) high ground, to facilitate attacks on the Broodseinde Ridge. The King's Own were on the extreme right of 76 Bde with the 4th Australian Division on its flank. The advance began at zero hour, 5.50 am, with the 2nd Suffolks and 10/RWF advancing by the Ypres-Roulers railway and 8/KORLR's "A" Company keeping very close to the creeping barrage. They were able to capture several enemy positions with few casualties, Lt Skerrett and his troops pressing on further than their allotted objectives, as the support battalion could not reach the barrage. Lt Brunwin and "B" Coy were held up by a pair of strongpoints, which were then captured and the advance continued, "B" Company were the first to achieve total success. Zonnebeke fell by 7.10 am with few casualties.
The enemy gunners were extremely active during the day, with very heavy shelling prior to a 5 pm counter-attack. The King's Own, holding a line between Tokio and St. Joseph's Institute, observed German troops massing and informed their own artillery, which prevented the attack developing fully.
That night the position was consolidated and made secure. The 8th Battalion remained at the front for the next three days under heavy shellfire and suffered a gas attack, but no frontal assaults.
The victorious 8/KORLR had suffered what the regimental history refers to as "surprisingly small" casualties, fifty men killed, one was Timothy Benson.
He is commemorated on the TYNE COT MEMORIAL, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium, Panel 18 to 19.
Timothy Benson's Medal Group and "Widow's Penny".
The family retains these in their original packaging.