Lives of the First World War

known 1916

Ben Senior was born at Deanhouse on 11 August 1892, the second son of George and Jane Senior. He was baptised on 25 September 1892 at All Saints Church, Netherthong. Before the war he was employed as a weaver at Deanhouse Mills and was a member of the committee of Netherthong Working Men’s Club. He attended the United Methodist Church and played football with the Netherthong Association football club. On the 1911 census, Ben is living at Deanhouse, Netherthong with his widowed mother, aunt and two sisters. He is employed as a machine warper at a woollen mill. At the time of his death his widowed mother was landlady of The Queen’s Arms at Netherthong. Ben enlisted on 27 April 1916 and after training at Great Yarmouth, Whitley Bay and other places, he embarked for France in July 1916. He died of wounds on 8 October 1916, aged 24 years. His mother received a letter from Lieut. E. G. Richardson stating that her son had been killed in action: "I regret to inform you that your son Ben has been killed in action last night at 9.30pm. He was one of my best gunners, and his loss is greatly regretted both by myself and my brother officers, and also by the section he was in. Fortunately he did not suffer at all, as he died within an hour of concussion, and was, of course unconscious all the time." The Holmfirth Express reported him a man of humour: "Standing 6’ tall he possessed a fund of humour; many who were present will remember the happy manner in which he took on the role of auctioneer at the newspaper sale at the Club, just before he went to the colours." He is buried at LONGUEVAL ROAD CEMETERY. Grave location:- Row B, Grave 12. Ben was the fifth Netherthong man to be killed by this date, the others being: 14231 Private Leonard Buckley 14235 Private Hubert Hobson 14241 Private Abel Schofield 14331 Private Charlie Woodhead

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