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Private Ernest Francis BENTLEY (P/S10785)
8th (Service) Battalion Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) Date of birth: 30th June 1885 Date of death: 7th October 1916 Killed in action aged 31 Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial Panels and Face 8C 9A and 16A
Ernest Francis Bentley was born at Bute House, Cann Hall Lane, Wanstead in Essex on the 30th of June 1885 the second son of Cicely Gertrude (nee Cumberland) Bentley of 25 Charleville Road, West Kensington. He was educated at St John's College Hurstpierpoint and at Lancing College where he won the Branthwaite Scholarship and was in News House from September 1901 to July 1905. He was a member of the 2nd Cricket XI from 1902 to 1903 and the 1st Cricket XI in 1904 and 1905. He was a member of the 1st Football XI from 1903 to 1905 and was appointed as Captain of the Fives team in September 1904. He was appointed as a House Captain in 1904 and served as a Lance Corporal in the Officer Training Corps. On leaving school he became an auctioneer's clerk and lived in rented rooms at Dudley House, 1 Barton Street West Kensington. Following the outbreak of war he enlisted at Fulham as Private 2406 in the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) and embarked for France on the 8th of July 1916. On the 2nd of October 1916 the 8th Battalion Royal Fusiliers took over trenches to the west of Gueudecourt near Flers on the Somme. On the 7th of October they attacked Bayonet Trench but were hampered by a German machine gun barrage shortly before zero hour which fell on the British front line trenches. Despite this setback the troops went forward at the appointed time of 1.45pm and initial reports suggested the attack was going well. After an hour it became clear that their first objective of Bayonet Trench had not been reached and in fact the men had been cut down in swathes by German artillery and machine gun fire. The battalion suffered casualties of 9 officers and 244 other ranks for no gain. General Boyd Moss sent the following message to the commanders of the assaulting battalions the next day:- "Will you please thank all ranks of your battalion for the magnificent gallantry they displayed yesterday. They advanced steadily under a heavy fire which only the very best troops could have faced. Though unfortunately unsuccessful, their gallant conduct has added to the fine reputation which you have already won for yourselves." His brother, Lieutenant Oliver Tyser Bentley 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment, was killed in action on the 29th of December 1900 during the Boer War. His mother applied for his medals in November 1921. He is commemorated on the war memorial at Hurstpierpoint College.

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