By DAVID COULTER

Last updated at 11:13, Friday, 27 March 2009

FOR over 100 years a permanent reminder of one of Tynedale’s most courageous personalities has stood in the heart of Hexham.

The memorial statue of Col. George Elliot Benson towers over the junction between Hencotes and Battle Hill at the very top of Beaumont Street.

In uniform, with his head turned to face his old home in Fourstones, he imposes his authority on passers-by as he did on his troops. In his hand are the binoculars that reportedly were the cause of his death during one of the most desperate battles of the Boer War.

For it is believed that it was the sun glinting off the lenses that alerted an enemy sniper to his location.

The statue was unveiled by Boer war hero General Lord Methuen in March 1904 and its inscription reads: “To the memory of a gallant soldier George Elliott Benson Lieut.Colonel in the Royal Regiment of Artillery who was born at Allerwash, May 24th 1861. Entered the Army May 1880 and after serving with distinction in the Soudan campaigns of 1885, 1896, 1898, and in the South African war 1899-1901, fell while commanding his column at the Battle of Brakenlaagte, Oct 30th, 1901. He is buried with those who fought and died with him, the Unreturned.”

It was erected by public subscription for such was the regard in which Benson was held.

In life, his courage under fire had seen him decorated and thrice mentioned in despatches. In death he proved to be no less heroic.

Born on May 24, 1861, the boy from Allerwash, Fourstones, was destined to join the military.

The son of William Benson, he grew up in Tynedale and was educated at Harrow, before entering the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, graduating second in his year.

Aged just 19, he was entitled to a commission in the Royal Engineers, but this was not to his taste and instead he opted for the Royal Artillery, joining as a lieutenant in 1880.

In 1885, he served in the Sudan campaign, during which he was wounded and awarded the medal with clasp of the Khedive’s Star for his bravery.

He was promoted to captain in 1888 and, after passing through staff college in 1891, was made a brigade major Royal Artillery at Aldershot, a posting he held for the next three years.

He was a close student of the science of gunnery and was awarded the gold medal of the United Service Institution for his essay Future in warfare of machine guns and smokeless powder.

His next period of active service was with the expedition to Ashanti, in Africa, under Sir Francis Scott, in 1895, when his bravery saw him decorated and made brevet-major.

A year later, he served with the Dongola Expeditionary Force in Sudan under Kitchener, as brigade-major mounted corps.

During this campaign he was to play a pivotal role and was mentioned in despatches, subsequently receiving the fourth class Osmaneih Medal and the Khedive’s Medal with two clasps.

He was invalided home, but returned to Egypt as part of the Nile Expedition of 1898.

While serving in the Kassala district he commanded a body of friendly natives, with whom he captured about 900 Dervishes following the battle of Atbara.

He returned to Tynedale to much public acclaim and was presented with a silver jug and a cigar case by the people of Newbrough and Fourstones at Newbrough Town Hall.

In 1899 when the Boer War broke out, Benson returned to South Africa where he distinguished himself as a clever and bold commander.

Initially in charge of a column of men, his successful leadership meant he was entrusted with a larger column that consisted of the 19th Mounted Infantry, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, the 2nd Scottish Horse, two guns and two pom-poms of the Royal Artillery.

He was twice mentioned in despatches and promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Within weeks of this latest promotion he had been appointed staff officer to the command in Rustenburg and in May 1901 was given local rank as colonel.

It was during this campaign that Benson and his men developed something of a reputation for their skilful and devastating night attacks.

In fact, of the 60 plus columns patrolling the Boer states at the time, none had a better record than Benson's.

Throughout seven months of continuous service, and operating only with mounted troops – he left his infantry as a camp guard – he carried out 28 night strikes, 21 of which were a resounding success.

No Boer camp within 50 miles was safe from his night attacks.

But in October 1901, Benson’s column of 1,900 men came under enemy sniper fire as they tried to intercept the Boers falling back from an abortive raid on Natal.

In one of the most desperate battles of the campaign at Brakenlaagte on October 30, Boer horsemen attacked the column from the rear.

As Benson rode back to rally his troops, the full fury of the Boers broke through the infantry and galloped on to a low ridge where they poured fire into the British lines.

Benson was hit twice – in the knee and again in the stomach – but despite his wounds, he was seen crawling along the firing line, cooly encouraging his troops.

He used his dying breath to urge his men to hold out.

“No more night marches” are said to have been his last words just before he died in the early hours of the morning.

He was 40 years old.

When Kitchener, then commander in chief of the British forces in South Africa, heard of his death, he is said to have locked himself in his room for several days, refusing to eat and asking how he could possibly win the war without Benson.

As soon as news of Benson's death arrived in Hexham, a memorial committee and public subscription were established.

A memorial service was held in St Peter’s Church, Newbrough, and sculptor John Tweed, was commissioned to build the statue – at a cost of £840 – to a fearless and much-respected soldier.

First published at 09:50, Friday, 27 March 2009
Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk