Arras - Roclincourt Valley Cemetery

Roclincourt Valley Cemetery
Cross Of Sacrifice

Roclincourt Valley Cemetery
Royal Artillery Graves

The Roclincourt Valley Cemetery contains the grave of Lieutenant Donald Bruce Bennell who is commemorated on the Memorial Fireplace in the 101 (Northumbrian) Regiment Royal Artillery Museum .

Lieutenant Bennell was killed in action 16th April 1917 serving with 315 Brigade Royal Field Artillery, The 2nd line Northumbrian Brigade were part of the  Divisional Artillery of the Royal Naval Division. In May 1916 they were designated 315 Royal Field Artillery.  

 Donald Bruce Bennell was born in 1886 the son  of Leslie and Friedan Bennell of Fulham. He enlisted into the Royal Horse Artillery in 1903 and served 7 years in India. He rose to the rank of Sergeant. At the beginning of WW1 he entered the Western Front on 5th  October 1914 serving in 14 Brigade Royal Horse Artillery, part of the 7th Division. The Division was a newly formed Division, the first to augment the original six Divisions of the British Expeditionary Force, bringing together units from throughout the Empire. 

The  7th  Division saw considerable action.  They  served at the Siege of Antwerp, First Battle of Ypres 1914 and in the battles of Neuve Chapelle, Aubers Ridge, Festubert, Loos in 1915. By October 1915 Donald Bennell  had reached the position of Battery Sergeant Major. He was commissioned in the field 19th October 1915.

He  was made a temporary Lieutenant in April 1916 and by then he was serving with the Northumbrian Brigade.

 

The war diary of 315 Brigade RFA,  2nd July 1916,  details their deployment to the Western Front with Lt Bennell as Adjutant.  On 31st August 1916 the Brigade was re-organised from 4 guns per battery to 6 guns per battery. As part of this reorganisation Lt Bennell was posted to A Battery. The Brigade was designated an Army Brigade 1st March 1917 and would be allocated where ever additional artillery support was required. 

 

On 14th April 1917,  315 Army Brigade came under the orders of XIII (13) Corps and deployed between Willerval and Gavrelle. The Divisional axis was on Oppy.

The war diary for 14th April 1917 records LIEUT DONALD BENNELL of A Battery Killed in action.

 

Lt. Douglas Bruce Bennell
315 Brigade RFA

 CWGC - LIEUTENANT DONALD BRUCE BENNEL

Rank: Lieutenant

Date of Death:  16/04/1917  Age: 31

Regiment/Service: Royal Field Artillery 315th Bde. 

Grave Reference: I. E. 1.

Cemetery: ROCLINCOURT VALLEY CEMETERY

Roclincourt Valley Cemetery