Darge Photographic Company collection of negatives

Studio portrait of 10584 Private (Pte) Edwin Benner, 3rd Divisional Signal Company, of Glenhuntley, Vic (originally from Sheffield, England). Pte Benner is wearing sergeant's stripes and may have been appointed to this rank temporarily. He enlisted on 17 November 1914 and served at Z Coy Depot until 1 January 1915. He attended Signaller's School from 9 March 1915 through until 31 January 1916. He was appointed Movement Control Corporal (M C Cpl) on 16 May 1916 and embarked aboard HMAT Ascanius in Melbourne on 25 May 1916. He was awarded the Military Medal on 16 July 1918. The recommendation for this award states that on 5 April and 9 April 1918, during operations west of Morlancourt, Cpl Benner was in charge of telephone lines at Brigade Forward Station. 'On both days, there was heavy hostile shelling and the lines were being constantly cut. Corporal Benner was constantly at work repairing the severed wires and it was due to his disregard of danger and fatigue and the manner in which he organised the men under his control, that communications were maintained at very critical times.' He died of bronchopneumonia on 14 November 1918 at the 3rd Australian General Hospital in Abbeville, France.