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No 4071, Private Bennett

by Maggie Holland

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The subject of this song was suggested to me by Piet Chielens, director at that time of the In Flanders Fields museum in Ieper. John Bennett was one of the ‘worthless soldiers’ who was executed by firing squad for leaving the line, in August 1916. He was 19 years old. His grave is in the New Military Cemetery, Poperinge. The research that Piet gave me (done by Julian Putowski) gave a lot of detail of his career - working in hospital units, then the Somme, then up to Ypres. There’s no clue as to why a London lad should have joined the Hampshire Regiment – but hop-picking could have taken him to Hampshire, and Poperinge is still the centre of hop-growing in Flanders.
He abandoned his post at the time of a gas attack warning; at the time he was stationed by the canal north of Ieper, not far from Boezinge where the first gas attack (in 1915) is commemorated at the Carrefour des Roses. The plaque has been cleaned up since I took the photo; I think the inscription is in French and Breton.

The cello playing is by Wendy Weatherby.

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released April 23, 2024

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Maggie Holland Edinburgh, UK

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