Name
Dudley Bennett Daniel(s)
Circa 1897
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
04/08/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
G/13004
The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
7th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 12 and 14.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
NA
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Hitchin memorials
Pre War
Dudley’s mother was born Edith Adeliza Bennett in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire on 9 November 1859. Her parents were Frederick and Jincifer Bennett.
Long before Dudley’s birth, Edith married Thomas James Frederick Tuttell in St. Margaret's Church, Westminster, London, on 10 February 1883 when she was 23 and her father was present. Thomas was 24 and a solicitor. The marriage did not last, and she petitioned for divorce on 20 August 1888. The jury of the divorce court found “1 That Thomas James Frederick Tuttell the Respondent has committed Adultery” and “2 That Thomas James Frederick Tuttell the Respondent has been guilty of Cruelty towards Edith Adeliza Tuttell the Petitioner” and the Final Decree was dated 28th October 1890.
Dudley was born around 1897 and the 1911 census records that he was born in Rosario, Argentine, which maybe the case, but he was England 1899 and was baptised on 23 Jul 1899 in Canterbury, Kent. His parents were Joseph Michel Daniel an artist and Edith Adeliza (sometimes Adelisa, née Bennett, later Tuttell and then Daniels). Details of their marriage have not been found.
Just over a month after he was baptised Dudley was abroad the SS Royston Grange of the Australian and New Zealand line bound for Buenos Aires, Argentina. With him were Joseph Michel Daniel(s) (47) an artist, his mother (45)and an older sister, by two years, Daisy. Obviously this mean that census details are difficult to find for him until 1911. So to try to establish more information about his family we looked at his mother. She was born in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire on 9 November 1859. We believe the following to be correct:
Details for Edith’s marriage to Dudley’s father, Joseph Michel Daniel(s), have not been found and it is possible that the married in Argentina. They certainly had at least three children; Daisy as mentioned above and a brother to Dudley, Eric Daniel who was born around 1900, and also in Rosario, Argentine.
Nothing else is known (at present) until 1911 when Dudley Daniel was found visiting his grandmother Jincifer Bennett, a widow and head of household – her husband and Edith’s father Frederick, living with her was Edith’s sister, also Florence Bennett. With Dudley was his mother who was now Edith Jenkins (46) and her husband, Dudley’s stepfather, (James) Vernon Jenkins (33).
Clearly Edith and married again, but we do not know the circumstances, however in the census James was recorded as a coal importer employed abroad.
Later, in 1921, the couple were living in Wimbledon, Surrey. Edith died in 1950 as a widow.
Officially Dudley was recorded as born in Rosario, Argentine and was living in Hitchin, Herts. when he enlisted in Herne, Kent.
Wartime Service
Daniel enlisted into the Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles territorial Force with the service number of 2321 on 20 March 1915 in Hearne, Kent. He agreed to serve overseas, Territorials were not required to, on the same day. His was 19 years and 6 months and his address was given as Warwick House, Best Lane, Canterbury. At his medical he was recorded as 5’ 7” tall, 125 lbs and with a 34” chest when fully expanded.
He landed in France on 21 September 1916 and went to the Base Depot at Etaples, then transferred to the 4th Battalion East Kent Regiment and posted to the 7th Battalion on 11 October 1916.
At some point he was renumbered to G/13004.
The reason is not clear but on the 31 January 1917 he was admitted to 56 Field Ambulance possibly ‘Injury and shot’ or ‘injury to shld’ (shoulder?). he was transferred to 4 Casualty Clearing Station, but returned to duty on 15 February 1917, but to 18 Division H Q.
He died with the 7th Battalion, East Kent Regiment on 4 August 1917, killed in action in Belgium near Ypres, his body lost, and he is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres.
Additional Information
On 11 October 1917 his mothers address was Woodrake, Petersham, Richmond Surrey and previously had been 336 S Sankins, Plaza Junell, Rosario, Argentine.
After his death £12 6s 9d pay owing was authorised to go to his mother, Edith A, on 13 March 1918. Later, a war gratuity of £10 10s was authorised to be paid to her on 5 November 1919, when she was named as Edith A Jenkins. Her address at that time was recorded as Old Time Cottage, Nutbourne, Pulborough, Sussex, and that is where she received his effects – a post card and photos.
She completed the form recording living relatives on 4 October 1919, when her address showed that she had moved 3 Kings Road, Hitchin, Herts. It recorded that his father was deceased, a brother Eric Daniels was 19 and living at the above address, and an older sister Mrs M A Lawrence (24) living at 40 Mount Shannon Road, Kilmainhaw, Dublin.
Another pension card reveals that her husband, James Vernon Jenkins, served as 363542 in the ASC and survived.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild
