Robert Edmund Ross Benson

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Vice-Admiral Robert Edmund Ross Benson, C.B., Royal Navy, Retired (23 or 25 April, 1864 – 3 February, 1927) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Benson was born in Dover, the son of Ralph Augustus Benson, Esquire, a barrister in Malvern, Worcestershire.[1][2]

At the examination for Naval Cadetships in mid 1877, Benson placed twelfth out of the successful batch of forty-six.[3]

Benson was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 21 June, 1887.[4]

He was appointed Flag Lieutenant to Rear-Admiral Frederick G. D. Bedford, Commander-in-Chief on the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa Station, on 10 August, 1892.[5]

He married Williama Margaret Daubeney on 25 May, 1897.[6] Together they had a son, Robert Evelyn Benson, but he died in 1919 and Williama died in 1924.[7]

Benson was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1900.[8]

Captain

Benson was appointed in command of the iron screw yacht Imogene on 6 February, 1905. He was superseded in Imogene on 20 August, 1906 at his own request, to attend to "urgent private affairs."[9]

Benson was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1906[10] shortly after having gone to Portsmouth for a War Course.

In June, 1907, he assumed command of the first class protected cruiser Royal Arthur after further gunnery and torpedo courses at Portsmouth.[11]

He was appointed to command of the second class protected cruiser Hermione on 28 October, 1909.[12]

In October 1910, he assumed command of the second class protected cruiser Venus, remaining in the ship until the following May.

He was appointed to the battleship Cæsar on 6 June, 1911.[13]

Benson was chastised for grounding Cedric in the Mersey on 20 November, 1915. He was cautioned to be more careful in future.[14]

Flag Rank

Benson was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 26 April, 1918, vice Kerr, and was placed on the Retired List "at his own request" on 27 April.[15] His future in the Navy had been decided at a meeting of the Board of Admiralty on 15 June, 1917, when all five Sea Lords voted that he be retired on promotion to Flag Rank under Section III of the Order in Council of 9 March, 1914.[16]

Benson continued working as the Rear-Admiral-in-Charge of the Southern Coast Guard District until October, 1918, where Admiral Thursby found him a "capable district captain."[17]

He was advanced to the rank of Vice-Admiral on the Retired List on 8 October, 1923.[18]

Benson remarried in 1925, to Alice Helen Gerahty, but his life with her was to be modest in span.[19] Benson died of heart failure at Chilcomb Chine, Winchester, on 3 February, 1927.[20]

As of 2015, his descendants possess "two buckets and two VERY HEAVY crowns that belonged to him. We also have a large glass with Lord Nelson on it - engraved into it."[21]

Bibliography

  • "Vice-Admiral Benson" (Obituaries). The Times. Friday, 4 February, 1927. Issue 44497, col C, p. 19.

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Thomas C. Fenton 		Captain of H.M.S. Rattlesnake
15 Jun, 1897[22] – 9 Jul, 1897[23] 		Succeeded by
Henry E. F. Worthington
Preceded by
Douglas R. M. Nicholson 		Captain of H.M.S. Calliope
1 Jan, 1904[24] – 6 Feb, 1905[25] 		Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Robert W. F. Travers 		Captain of H.M.S. Imogene
6 Feb, 1905 – 20 Aug, 1906 		Succeeded by
Oscar M. Makins
Preceded by
George E. S. Petch 		Captain of H.M.S. Royal Arthur
11 Jun, 1907[26] – 6 Jan, 1909[27] 		Succeeded by
Edwin V. Underhill
Preceded by
The Hon. Robert F. Boyle 		Captain of H.M.S. Antrim
28 Apr, 1909[28] – 28 Oct, 1909[29] 		Succeeded by
Henry D. Wilkin
Preceded by
Cuthbert E. Hunter 		Captain of H.M.S. Hermione
28 Oct, 1909[30][31] – 7 Sep, 1910[32] 		Succeeded by
Murray F. Sueter
Preceded by
Roger J. B. Keyes 		Captain of H.M.S. Venus
Sep, 1910[33] – 30 May, 1911[34] 		Succeeded by
Arthur R. Hulbert
Preceded by
Price V. Lewes 		Captain of H.M.S. Cæsar
6 Jun, 1911[35] – 31 Jan, 1912[36] 		Succeeded by
Herbert Chatterton
Preceded by
Bentinck J. D. Yelverton 		Inspecting Captain of Mechanical Training Establishments
1 Mar, 1912[37][38] – 12 Nov, 1914[39] 		Succeeded by
George C. Quayle
Preceded by
New Command 		Second-in-Command, Tenth Cruiser Squadron
11 Nov, 1914[40] – 17 May, 1916[41] 		Succeeded by
John S. Luard
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of H.M.S. Cedric
12 Nov, 1914[42] – Jan, 1916[43] 		Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Adrian H. Smyth 		Captain of H.M.S. Teutonic
Jan, 1916[44][45] – 17 May, 1916[46] 		Succeeded by
John S. Luard
Preceded by
John S. Luard
as Captain-in-Charge of the Southern Coast Guard District 		Rear-Admiral-in-Charge of the Southern Coast Guard District
17 May, 1916[47] – Oct, 1918[48] 		Succeeded by
?

 

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  2. ↑ Emails to Tony Lovell from relative, dated 3 & 4 September, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Naval Cadetships" (News). The Times. Saturday, 30 June, 1877. Issue 28982, col A, p. 14.
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 25712. p. 3366. 21 June, 1887.
  5. ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 1 August, 1892. Issue 33705, col B, p. 5.
  6. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  7. ↑ Emails to Tony Lovell from relative, dated 3 & 4 September, 2015.
  8. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27263. p. 82. 4 January, 1901.
  9. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  10. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27982. p. 31. 1 January, 1907.
  11. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  12. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 26 October, 1909. Issue 39100, col A, p. 8.
  13. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  14. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  15. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 30678. p. 5602. 10 May, 1918.
  16. ↑ The National Archives. ADM 167/52.
  17. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/88. f. 172.
  18. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 32871. p. 6966. 16 October, 1923.
  19. ↑ Email to Tony Lovell from relative, dated 3 September, 2015.
  20. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  21. ↑ Email to Tony Lovell from relative, dated 3 September, 2015.
  22. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  23. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  24. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  25. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  26. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  27. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  28. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  29. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  30. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 26 October, 1909. Issue 39100, col A, p. 8.
  31. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  32. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  33. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  34. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  35. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  36. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 560.
  37. ↑ "Naval Appointments" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 18 December, 1911. Issue 39771, col F, p. 15.
  38. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  39. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  40. ↑ The Navy List. (October, 1915). p. 401h.
  41. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  42. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  43. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  44. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1916). p. 7.
  45. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  46. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  47. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.
  48. ↑ Benson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 240.

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