Benest family members who served in World War 1

Benest family members who served in the Great War

Snowden Benest, Gunner, Royal Garrison Artillery

Fifteen members of the family saw active service in World War 1.

The dates shown are often birth or baptism dates from our database, not necessarily those shown on service records, and parishes shown are parish of birth, where known, not the parish in which individuals were living when they joined up.

Notes on our list, abbreviations used etc

Sons of George Le Bas Benest and Clara Ann Labey, including officer brothers who both won the Military Cross

• George Philip Benest (1899- ) (St B) 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Field Artillery, wounded, ex-Militia
• Cyril John Benest MC (1896-1956) (St B), husband of Miriam Margaret Falla, OV, Lieutenant, Royal Field Artillery, ex-Militia. Military Cross citation, June 1916: 'For conspicuous gallantry. When a dug-out was blown in by a heavy shell he at once, under heavy fire, began to dig out the buried men, and showed great coolness in organising the rescue party and in tending the wounded under fire.'
• Harold George Benest MC (St B), OV, Captain, Royal Field Artillery, wounded. Military Cross citation, September 1916: 'For conspicuous gallantry during operations. During a strong raid on the enemy's trenches he went out under very heavy shellfire, in order to establish visual communication after the wires had been cut. He also laid a wire back to the trenches, though twice half buried by shells. Later he brought in wounded men under machine gun fire.

• Philip Labey Benest (St B) 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Field Artillery, wounded, ex-Militia

• Edmund Vardon Benest (1885- ) (St H) son of George and Eliza Friel Allnutt, Mercantile Marine
• Ernest Benest (St H) OV, Bombardier, Royal Field Artillery
• Francis Pinel Benest (1880- ) (St H) son of Alfred and Mary Anne Pinel, Private, RJGB

Sons of Herbert Benest and Selina Renouf

• Harold Benest (1894- ) (St H) Private, RJGB
• Raymond Benest (1898- ) (Tr), Private, Dorsetshire Regiment

• Philip Durell Benest (1882- ) husband of Mabel Toussaint, Private, Canadian Infantry, wounded twice, PoW
• Philip George Benest (1886- ) (St H) son of Philip and Lydia, Staff Sergeant, Canadian Army Service Corps

Sons of William Le Bas Benest and Emily Bichard

• Sidney G Benest (1883- ) (St H) husband of Mabel Nicolle, Private, RAOC
• William Benest (St H), Gunner, Royal Garrison Artillery, ex-Militia

• Snowden Benest (1887-1944) (Tr) husband of Lilian Annie Picot, Gunner, Royal Garrison Artillery, ex-Militia, Later Constable of Trinity
• Stanley Arthur Benest, Corporal RE