Posting Member: Jenn
Topic: The Bentley Boys
Family Name Associations: Bentley
Location: Barrie, Ontario
Mood: In awe.
Music:
This photograph is courtesy of the government of Canada’s archives. The soldier pictured is Francis Joseph Bentley, but he liked to be called Frank. Frank was the son of Jane Cockshire and John Bentley. Grandson to Mary Ann Calvert and Matthew Bentley. The woman he’s wife is more than likely his wife, her name was Marie Severine Martin Bentley. We know they had at least one son, but we’re still looking for any other information.
Confirmation on 2 Sep 2015 that this photograph is not of Private Francis Joseph Bentley, but rather of Private Francis Albert Bentley of no relation. We are contacting the Canadian Virtual War Memorial to make the appropriate correction.
Frank was a part of the 19th Battalion, Canadian Army Infantry that fought in World War One. Today Jake actually put a face to the name of one of the Bentley boys we’d been researching, and I cannot be more thrilled with the find. We’ve spent the better part of a week building up these branches, but to actually see one of these heroes… Well, I’m speechless.
Frank gave his life for his Country on the 22nd of June, 1918. His family’s memorial stone claims he died on the Western front of France.
Private Francis Joseph ‘Frank’ Bentley on SkeletonGen.com
Our second line of research focus has been Private John Arthur Bentley, cousin of Frank and brother to our own Alice Bentley. She was listed as his next of kin upon his enlistment to be a soldier, John Arthur went by just ‘Arthur’ to his family. Arthur had previous experience in the military, we know from his enlistment that he had served 6 years with the Field Ambulance.
Arthur was a son of Selina Catletta Young and Stephen Bentley. Grandson to Mary Ann Calvert and Matthew Bentley.
Private Bentley served aboard the Hospital Ship ‘Llandovery Castle’, which was bound from Halifax, Nova Scotia, for Liverpool, England.
On June 27th,1918 the Hospital Ship was torpedoed on, 114 miles south-west of the Fastnet Rock by U-86. Despite regulation Red Cross lights, the ship was deliberately torpedoed and life boats carrying survivors were fired at with a ship’s gun from the U-Boat.
Private John Arthur Bentley was killed in action during the attack and his body lost at sea. In October when two of our members are in Halifax they’re going to get pictures of his memorial there.
Private John Arthur Bentley on SkeletonGen.com
We’ve done our best to document and publish everything we’ve found and will continue to do so. The Bentley, Walker and now the Howard families are being updated with all the most recent finds and records. Jake has updates of his own to post, but I had to write 🙂
