100 Days of Heroes: Young hero Jack Benson was only 17 when he went to World War I

IT was probably no surprise to his family and friends that young Jack Benson was so determined to play his part in what seemed like the greatest adventure in the world in 1914.

Lance Corporal Jack Benson is remembered at tree 152 on the Soldiers’ Memorial Avenue.

IT was probably no surprise to his family and friends that young Jack Benson was so determined to play his part in what seemed like the greatest adventure in the world in 1914.

Not only was he a keen sportsman, he was a strong swimmer who at age 13 had saved another boy from drowning.

Born at Bellerive in November 1897, Jack was a year younger than his stated age of “18 years and one month” when he enlisted with the Australian Imperial Force.

The youngest of William and Lucy Benson’s six children, he had been educated at The Hutchins School and St Virgil’s College.

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In 1911 he was presented with a gold watch by Lady Barron, wife of the Tasmanian governor, for his bravery in saving a friend who got into difficulty swimming at Kingston Beach.

A year later Jack was in the St Virgil’s football team that won the state secondary schools championship and two years later he was farming with his brother at Riverton, near Dromedary in the Derwent Valley.

He enlisted in December 1914 and was promoted to lance corporal the next month. By May 1915 he had been wounded in action at Gallipoli and transferred to hospital in Egypt.

He was wounded again in the battle for Lone Pine in August 1915, receiving a serious knee injury that required another evacuation to Egypt.

Jack was admitted to the No. 21 General Hospital at Alexandria but died on September 3 from his wound. He was buried in the Chatby War Memorial Cemetery, not yet 18 years old.

A letter sent to his mother described him as “one of the best, as plucky as could be, never failed his duty and died bravely.”

Lance Corporal John (Jack) Errol Benson is remembered at tree 152 on the Soldiers’ Memorial Avenue and on the honour board at the Hutchins School.

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Lance Corporal Jack Benson’s plaque on the Soldiers’ Memorial Avenue.