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Arthur Benson - Information

Arthur was a son of Alfred Ernest Arthur and Theresa Matilda Benson, born in Leichhardt on the 13th of April 1895. Arthur's father had served in the NSW Citizen Forces during the Boer War. Sadly, a month after he was discharged, Alfred passed away in South Africa on the 1st of March 1901. Theresa, now a war widow, moved the family to Livingstone Rd in Ingleburn. When Arthur was older, he helped support the family working as a farmer. 1917 proved to be a noteworthy year for the Benson family. Arthur's mother got remarried to David Smith, and his younger brother, Ernest, volunteered for the AIF and left for war. Arthur then decided to also join up, enlisting on the 3rd of May 1918 in Sydney, aged 22. He commenced his training at the M & D Depot in Liverpool as a Private. However, he was shortly discharged on the 28th of June for being medically unfit.

Arthur returned to his life in Ingleburn. He eagerly reunited with his brother when he returned from Europe. Arthur then met and fell in love with Ivy Doris Hodkin. They married at St Mary the Virgin Church in Denham Court on the 12th of March 1924, commencing their family soon afterwards. Surprisingly, the advent of the Second World War would also impact the Benson family. Ernest enlisted in the army in June 1941, however was shortly discharged. He tried again successfully on the 16th of April 1942 serving until early 1945. Arthur passed away in 1960 in Liverpool, and was buried at St Mary the Virgin in Denham Court.