Photo: James Pasby
189179 Gunner
B.H. Hankey
Royal Garrison Artillery
23rd May 1920
Benjamin Harold Hankey was the second son of Benjamin Hankey and Lucy Smith who had married in the spring of 1894 in the Newcastle registration district. Benjamin worked as a clerk for North Eastern Railway and the young couple began their married life in Gateshead, where they had a son and daughter. At some point between 1896 and 1899 the family moved to Darlington where Benjamin Harold was born in the spring of 1899.
In 1901 the family lived at 34 Louisa Street, Darlington, and by 1911 they had moved to 1 Kensington Terrace, Whickham. Benjamin still worked as an N.E.R. clerk, and the eldest son Oswald was a labourer in a local flour mill. Benjamin Harold was still at school, and by then had three younger brothers.
After leaving school Benjamin Harold followed his father into the employ of N.E.R. and attained an apprenticeship as a fitter in Gateshead. He didn’t wait to be called up for service, but attested for the duration of the war in Newcastle at the age of 17 years and 9 months on 5 February 1917. By this time the family was living at 35 Oakland Road, W Jesmond. He expressed a wish to join Royal Garrison Artillery (R.G.A.) and was posted to number 4 Depot of R.G.A. at Ripon, being given the service number 189179.
On 19 February 1918 Benjamin was posted to the R.G.A. Signals Depot at Halton Park, Tring. At the end of May, he was posted to ‘A’ Siege Depot, R.G.A. and qualified as a First Class Signaller on 2 October, on which date he was appointed a gunner signaller. Benjamin was discharged from the army under AO IV of 1918 and re-enlisted for a period of two years at Catterick on 10 February 1919. Following a medical examination at Catterick Camp he was declared fit for the army. At that time he was 5’5” tall, had a fresh complexion and light blue eyes. On 26 May he was posted to 2/3 Siege Artillery Reserve Brigade and then on 7 June to Central Siege School at Lydd.
Whilst stationed in Lydd on 19 October 1919 he was confined to barracks for 2 days for absenting himself from parade. Benjamin qualified as a Gun Layer 20 March 1920, and endured another 3 days confined to barracks from 11 May for missing parade.
On 18 May Benjamin was admitted to the Military Hospital at Shorncliffe complaining of pain in his back and the left side of his stomach, thinking that he may have injured his back when he slipped down a couple of steps three days earlier. It was suspected that he might have pneumonia, but there were no definite signs. By the following day he was very ill, finding breathing difficult, and being delirious most of the day. Benjamin remained delirious and he died at 10 minutes past 12 on the morning of 23 May 1920 at Shorncliffe Military Hospital. His father was listed as his next of kin, and was with Benjamin when he died.
Benjamin’s father arranged for his body to be returned home, to be buried in the Garden House Cemetery. In due course both of his parents were buried in the same plot; his father in 1948 and mother in 1951.
Benjamin Harold Hankey is remembered in Dunston Hill on D31.01 and in Whickham on W86.09
