This man is a candidate for addition to Keighley's Supplementary Volume under the proposal to add further names in 2024, the centenary of the original roll of honour.
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Supported by the National Lottery's Heritage Fund, our project intends to submit about 120 names for peer review to add them to the book which is kept at Keighley Library. The unveiling of the book with it's new names is planned for November 2024, 100 years after the unveiling of the original war memorial.

Private Ronald William Benson, kindly supplied by Neil Moules

Private. 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards. Service number 16532.

Early life:

Ronald was born at Cowling and his birth was registered at Skipton in the third quarter of 1898. His parents were Alfred and Ada Benson née Driver and Alfred was a weaving overlooker.
They were living at 9, Scar View in Cowling during the 1901 census and Ronald was two at the time and his father Alfred was a worsted weaving overlooker.
By the time of the 1911 census Ronald was 12 years old and they had moved to Silsden where they were living at 56, Prospect Terrace, Silsden. Also living with them was Ronald's maternal grandfather William Driver. At this time Alfred was a cotton manufacturer and employer which probably gave them sufficient income for Ronald to attend Keighley Boy's Grammar School which he'd been attending since 1910 and was educated there for two years. He'd been suffering with ill health which delayed his education, but he eventually went on to attend Ashville College in Harrogate to study textiles. He was a member of the Silsden Wesleyan Chapel choir, and connected with the Wesley guild.

War service:

Ronald was eighteen years and eight months old and working as a weaver when he enlisted for General Service at Keighley on 2nd February 1917. He was above average height at 5 feet 11 inches tall although his weight at 123 lbs and chest of 34 inches show he was not physically large and he had to have some dental treatment later in the year. He was called up on 13th February and posted to the 3rd Battalion Scots Guards, service number 16532. As part of his training he qualified as a Lewis Gunner.
Ronald was transferred to the 1st Battalion Scots Guards on 13th August for overseas service, leaving Southampton on that date and disembarking at Harfleur the next day. He joined the 7th Entrenching Battalion in the field on 31st August and transferred to the 2nd Battalion on the 23rd September. He was gassed in October 1917.
Ronald was of good character and had an unblemished record of conduct, until 10th June 1918 when he was awarded 4 days Field Punishment No. 2 for being 'extremely idle on sentry.'

WO-95-1223-4 2nd Battalion Scots Guards war diary:

TRENCHES. October 11th and 12th 1917:
During the night all the Companies were shelled with gas shells. Captains' Hon. H. J. S. Howard and E. Knollys were gassed and about 80 other ranks also became casualties, - some from ordinary shelling but mostly from gas shells. Next morning during the attack 2/Lieut. H. W. Green was killed. The next two days and night in the line were very quiet and the Battalion came out by Companies on the night of the 12th and marched to RUGBY CAMP, ELVERDINGHE where they remained for two days.

Ronald would have been one of the 'other ranks' gassed at this time although his service record makes no specific mention of it. In a letter home Ronald mentions he was blind for three days. This was reported in the Craven Herald in November 1917.

WO-95-1223-4 2nd Battalion Scots Guards war diary:

19/5/1918
On the night of the 19th we were ordered to flush out 2 Listening Posts as an attack was expected in the morning, both Patrols were spotted owing to a very bright moonlight, and M.G.'s were turned on them resulting in 2/Lt Hunter Blair, 2/Lt Fernihough being wounded, 10 OR missing & 3 wounded. 2/Lt Chamberlain in charge of 2nd Lt Fh. patrol was hit through the head before he passed our own wire and died on the way to dressing stations on the 20th.

It's possible that Private Ronald Benson was one of the three men wounded in this operation.
Several months later, on 19th May 1918 he was hit by a gunshot wound in his left side and was admitted to No. 9 Field Ambulance and then to 5, Field Ambulance the next day. He recovered quickly and rejoined his battalion on the 23rd.

Ronald was killed in action on 24th August 1918.

WO-95-1223-4 2nd Battalion Scots Guards war diary, 24th August 1918:
It was not intended to attack the village of ST.LEGER direct but to encircle it from North and South. Zero was fixed at 7am. No tanks were allotted to the Brigade. 1st Grenadier Guards on the Right were already in position on the Right of the 2nd Guards Brigade, it was therefore necessary for this Battalion to move up into alignment with them before Zero hour. Companies were ordered to move into following positions before 7am. Right flank Coy into JUDAS Trench in B3c and the junction of JUDAS trench and MORY Switch in B9a. Left flank Coy close support in B8b."G" Coy in support West of B8 Central; "7" Coy in reserve between light railway and BAPAUME Road in B7b. There was time to explain the intervention of operation orders fully, especially as to divertion and frontages, but the lines of approach and forming up positions were largely left to the discretions of Company Commanders, and it is thought that considerable casualties were thereby avoided, as between 4am and 7am, the Germans shelled likely forming up places at intervals; for instance, both sides of the ERVILLERS- HAMELINCOURT Road about A12 cart and MORY Switch in B8a and b. Right flank Coy reports being in position next to the 1st Grenadier Guards about ten minutes before zero, and both Battalion advance Headquarters were together in B8a.
The Officer Commanding 1st Grenadier Guards reported to me before zero that he had fears for his right flank as the next divison did not seem to intend to move eastward of MORY. The German machine gunners seemed to be in great strength along valley running from Southwest to northeast on line MORY COPSE-BANKS WOOD. I ordered my close support company (Capt. PP Gilbin, MC) to get in close touch with the Grenadier Guards in case (as actually happened) they became too extended through their flank being exposed. At zero both artilleries put a considerable amount of shelling into ST.LEGER Valley, the Bosche artillery later shifted on to the plateau in B3d and the Sunken Road running into ST.LEGER through B4b and d. By 7.45am over 100 prisoners had come in and RF Coy were reported East of Crucifix Copse and Nine Elms where they were held up by intense machine gun fire from the Banks trench and ST.LEGER WOOD. The 1st Grenadier Guards were reported held up in HALLY AVENUE by machine gun fire from the Southeast. The Germans seemed to be in great strength in the scrub and bushes on the top of the ridge in B5a. I therefore ordered my 3rd Company ("G" Coy) to work through the Southern edges of ST.LEGER and try to get touch with the Welsh Guards and if possible reach T29 Central which would turn the position of the Germans in front of us. Although our field artillery was streaming up behind us I could not get into touch with the F.O.O.s at this stage. During the remainder of the morning all three leading Companies made repeated effort to work around the German positions using covering fire crawling where ground allowed and forcing the enemy to maintain a continuous fire. A good many hostile teams were either shot down or rushed, and we had considerable casualties in B4f and in and around hedges southeast side of the village. About every time a machine gun was silenced or rushed, a fresh one echeloned in rear opened fire. Companies reported that apparently the whole of the German Infantry in the Sector, who were not machine gunners, had either been captured, killed or bolted. The amount of equipment and clothing we found pointed to the garrisons being stronger than had been expected. About midday the Officer Commanding 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards was wounded and I took command of the 1st Grenadier Guards until Lt. Col. Lord Gort arrived in the evening. Two platoons of Left flank Coy were moved over to the Southern side of B4b to support the Grenadier Guards in HALLY AVENUE where they were in a very exposed position. The platoon of the Grenadier Guards in reserve were brought back to ISCARIOT WORK as they were being shelled by our own guns about B9 central.Throughout the afternoon the slightest movement East of HALLY AVENUE or MORY SWITCH caused a heavy machine gun fire from MORY COPSE, CAMOUFLAGE COPSE and HALLY COPSE and from the neighborhood of BANKS WOOD in B11a and b.
The battalion were relieved on the night of the 25th August and spent the end of the month in billets.
Casualties:
Killed: 1 officer, 16 other ranks (one of whom was Private Ronald Benson)
Wounded: 2 officers 94 other ranks.

Trench Map showing the positions mentioned above:

National Library of Scotland Trench map

Ronald's mother Ada was the sole legatee in his will. She received his outstanding Army pay of £5 16s 3d on 24th September 1919 and also his personal effects of letters, identity disc, diary and photo cards on 25th September 1919. A war gratuity of £6 10s was also paid to her on 5th December 1919.
She also received Ronald's medals, the British War Medal and Victory Medal on 2nd January 1922. It's likely she also received a memorial plaque and King's Certificate bearing his name.

Keighlian Magazine obituary:

RONALD WILLIAM BENSON
Private. Scots Guards.
Ronald Benson was a Silsden boy, and attended the School from 1910 to 1912. For nearly three years after leaving School he was in very indifferent health, and appeared to be growing too fast. After a long rest, extending throughout the summer, he entered his father's mill, intending to learn the manufacturing business. His health again became worse, and ultimately he went to Ashville College, Harrogate, for 1½ years. There he seemed to gain strength and became physically stronger. It was his father's intention to send him to the Bradford Technical College, there to take a three years' course in the Textile Department.
He joined the Scots Guards in February, 1917, and went to France in August of the same year. His health improved greatly while on service. He was gassed in October of last year, and wounded in May last. It was on August 24th that he was killed by a machine-gun bullet.

Ronald Benson was of a most cheerful disposition. His parents had not had a "grousey" word nor a grumble since he joined the Army. Letters from his friends at the front and from the chaplain and officers show that he was held in high esteem by all. They speak of him in terms of unstinted praise as a fine soldier and a cheerful companion. He had the opportunity of taking up a Commission, but he preferred to remain a Private with the Guards. He was only 20 years of age. Our hearts go out in sincere sympathy with his parents.

Reference sources:

England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
1901 Census
1911 Census
Scots Guards Enlistment Registers, 1799-1939
British Army Service Records from the Scots Guards archives.
Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919
Find a Grave.com
WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923
Scotland, National War Memorial Index, 1914-1945
1921 Census
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005
1939 England and Wales Register
Craven's Part in the Great War story of Ronald's life
2nd Battalion Scots Guards war diary transciption by Isaac Wade.