Son of Athol and Mary Benzie, of Denhill Cottage, Drumlithie, Fordoun, Kincardineshire.

Robert Benzie, late of Craighall on Roll of Honour, not listed on War Memorial.

Born Kennethmont, enlisted Aberdeen, Died of Wounds, served France and Flanders.
Only R Benzie in 1 GH 1914-1918.

PRO; 1914/15 Star, War & Victory Medals, France 15/6/1915, D of W 15/6/1915

Arm Casualty Returns: Robt Benzie, 21, KIA 15/6/1915, Place of burial Westoutre

CWGC records, previously buried in Ferme Henri Pettyn Vanlaeres Cemetery. Map ref: Sheet 28 / G20 C.10.60

The letter S prefixing the service number indicates a wartime enlistment.

On the day of Robert's death 1GH were working on reserve trenches east of Zillebeke. It is likely he was wounded during the actions on Hill 60 between 11th and 20th May. Hill 60 was near the cutting at Zwarteleen on the Ypres - Comines railway line.

1st GH, Batt diary entry 1915
May began quietly, heavy shelling on 6th, killed 3 and wounded 5. By the 11th May,
Brigade was ordered to relieve 13th Brigade in front of Hill 60.

13/5 Bn relieved South Lancs in trenches 38, 39, 41, 42, 47s encircling Hill 60. Masses of rifles and equipment found, left by West Riding Regt due to gassing, many corpses; cleaning up carried out. Later 4 germans found digging near trench 38 They were bombed and relaliated in two actions, 2 men killed and thirteen wounded.. By mid-May patrols carried out at Hill 60, with bombing continuing and parapets blown in.
20/5 Relieved by Dorsets, marched back to billets at La Clytte.
21-24/5 La Clytte.

Preparations leading up to 2nd Ypres begin, with Bn engaged in trench work at Hooge, and quiet conditions at night. Some shelling in mornings.
25-26/5 Move to front. Battalion take over line from ( but not including village) Hooge to NW corner of Zouave Wood on night of 26-27 May

Service notes
1st Gordon Highlanders

4/8/1914 at Plymouth: 8th Bde, 3rd Division
14/8/1914 landed Boulogne.
12/9/1914 to Line of Communications Troops after losing 80% at Le Cateau (the order to withdraw never reached them or others of 8th Bde. 500 Gordons were captured)
30/9/1914 remnants reinforced & returned to 8th Bde, 3rd Division
19/10/1915 to 76th Brigade, 3rd Division.
11/11/1918 La Longueville, France.

KLEIN-VIERSTRAAT BRITISH CEMETERY, KEMMEL, Heuvelland, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium

VII. B. 27.

Klein-Vierstraat British Cemetery is located 6 km south west of Ieper town centre, on the Molenstraat, a road branching from the Kemmelseweg (joining Ieper to Kemmel N331). From Ieper town centre the Kemmelseweg is reached via the Rijselsestraat, through the Lille Gate (Rijselpoort), and straight on towards Armentieres (N365). 900 metres after the crossroads is the right hand turning onto the Kemmelseweg (made prominent by a railway level crossing). 5 km along the Kemmelseweg lies the right hand turning onto Poperingestraat. 1km along the Poperingestraat lies Kemmel No 1 French Cemetery. Immediately to the left of this cemetery is a road called Molenstraat. Klein Vierstraat British Cemetery is located 30 metres along the Molenstraat on the right hand side of the road.

The village of Kemmel and the adjoining hill, Mont Kemmel, were the scene of fierce fighting in the latter half of April, 1918, in which both British and French forces were engaged. The cemetery was begun in January, 1917, and Plots I to III were made by Field Ambulances and fighting units before the middle of January, 1918. Plot IV was begun in April, 1918. Of the 437 original burials, 188 were those of officers and men belonging (or attached) to Artillery units. After the Armistice, graves were brought into Plot I, Row H, and Plots IV to VII, from two smaller cemeteries and from the battlefields of Dikkebus, Loker and Kemmel. One American grave was removed to Lijssenthoek. There are now over 800, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over 100 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to two soldiers from the United Kingdom, known or believed to be buried in the cemetery. The cemetery covers an area of 3,040 square metres and is enclosed partly by a rubble wall and partly by a curb. The graves of 58 soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from Canada were brought from the Cemetery at the FERME HENRI PATTYN-VANLAERES, POPERINGHE, on the West of the road to Westoutre. These men fell in May and July, 1915, and (in one case) in April, 1918. The graves of 17 soldiers from the United Kingdom, who fell in July and August, 1918, were brought from MONT-VIDAIGNE MILITARY CEMETERY, WESTOUTRE, on the Western slope of the hill between Westoutre and Bailleul. The cemetery contained also the graves of 17 French soldiers who fell in April and May, 1918.