Southam in WW1

Centenary Archive

Honouring those who died and all who served

Private Horace Joseph Bench SS/143 and 43692

“Private Horace Bench youngest son of Richard Bench, of Southam has been gassed and wounded. He has been serving since the commencement of the war and wears the Mons ribbon.”

                                                                                                                                               Rugby Advertiser,  7 September 1918.

Born in 1896, one of eight children of Arthur Richard Bench a groom at livery stables and his wife Louisa,  the family lived on Tattle Bank, Southam. Horace enlisted at a very young age.  In addition to the British and Victory medals, he was entitled to wear the 1914 Star also known as the ‘Mons Star’.  This medal indicated that he was with the BEF, or Old Contemptibles as they were affectionately called.  Private Bench served in the Army Service Corp (ASC).  Later he served with the Princess Charlotte of Wales’ Royal Berkshire Regiment when he was gassed and wounded in 1918.

More of Horace Bench’s ongoing life history was not known until detailed specialist research was undertaken by historian Malcolm Thomas in 2026.  He has unveiled a fascinating saga of a young man from Southam, who in the ASC, baked thousands of loaves in a field bakery for the army in France. For Malcolm’s dossier of research, and for photographs of a typical field bakery click here. 

We are very grateful to Malcolm Thomas for sharing his research.