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Eric Hubert Bennett - Information

Eric Hubert was born in Katoomba c1898 to John H. and Alice Bennett. When Eric was older, he left his family in Campsie and moved to the Campbelltown area. Eric worked as a farmer for the Swann family in Wedderburn. He was still working on their Wedderburn property when he decided to join the AIF on the 23rd of September 1916 at the Royal Showground in Sydney, at just 18 years of age.

After signing up, Eric trained at the Showground Camp. He was then allotted to the 5th Reinforcements, 37th Battalion as a Private. His unit embarked Sydney on the HMAT Benalla on the 9th of November 1916. They arrived in Devonport, England in early January 1917, and were marched into the 10th Training Battalion. After extensive conditioning for the Western Front, Eric was shipped to France. Departing Southampton in mid October 1917, he joined the 37th Battalion in the lines. Eric’s unit suffered through the bitter winter months, before intense fighting commenced with the German March Offensive. During this period, Eric was wounded in action, when a bullet struck his left knee on the 29th of April 1918. He was admitted to the 4th General Hospital, however, due to the wound'€™s severity was evacuated to England to the Richmond Military Hospital. Losing function of his knee, Eric was declared unfit for active service, and was sent home to Australia on the 30th of June. He arrived in Sydney on the 4th of September, and was discharged at the end of October.