Benjamin did indeed see military action in India and in France. He enlisted with the 1st Battalion South Wales Borderers at Aberdare on 20th July 1896 aged 19 years and 7mths. His service number was 5307.

When Ben went to enlist he had to fill in a form. After being checked for errors Ben had to sign it. Here is his signature taken from the form.

He served in India for just over 6 years. His first posting in India was to Meerut but over the next six years he served in Chakrata, Dehra Dun and Pur, Peshawar, Mian Mir and Umballa, Delhi and finally Mian Mir and Dalhousie. On the application form to join the Borderers is a description of Ben:

• Height- 5ft 3inches and 3/8 inches
• Born: Treforest, Pontypridd
• Fresh complexion, grey eyes and light brown hair
• Distinctive marks- Anchor tattooed on back of right forearm
• Age- 19 years and 7 months
• Religious denomination- Church of England
• Weight- 197Ib
• Chest size- 35'' min. to 37'' max.
• His occupation is given as a collier and his next of kin as Noah Fletcher of Canal Cottages, Cwmbach.

As a soldier in India with the South Wales Borderers he would have seen several skirmishes while 'guarding long lines of communication' (trains), these are well documented. In all he served 12 years up until 19/7/1908, 5 of those years as a reserve soldier.                                        

Late in 1914 he again joined the South Wales Borderers as a private. He was sent to France as part of a detachment of 92 soldiers who were under the leadership of Lieutenant Russell. This link will take you to the website of The Royal Regiment of Wales which incorporates the South Wales Borderers.

  This photograph shows Ben in the uniform of the South Wales Borderers. He's wearing the cap badge of the Borderers and the photograph may have been taken just before he was sent to France. Often these type of photographs were sent back home to the soldier's family. This type of uniform was not worn during fighting in the trench warfare. They landed in Le Havre and on 26th January 1915 he arrived at the trenches at Givenchy. The war started on 14th August 1914 and the French and British armies are now defending trenches which marked the battles lines separated by ground known as 'no-mans land' from the Germans. On the morning of 25th January these trenches came under heavy bombardment from German artillery and shelling continued throughout the day. This was the scene as Benjamin arrived at Givenchy. 

The battalion War Diary records the events of the 25th and 26th January 1915 like this:

Givenchy, France

25th January 1915:

At 8.0am heavy bombardment of all trenches and supports. Message received that General's trench was blown in & Scottish trench suffered in places. 1/2 Coy. of B. were ordered up to WAGON HILL to support C. Coy. & 1 platoon of D Coy. Moved into main trench. 8.30 am. Infantry attack delivered. Germans broke through about 100yds. of Welch trench on our right. 9.0 am. other half of B Coy went up road to counter attack The Germans. No. 5. platoon of B Coy & 1 Coy of Black Watch with 1 Coy. of Welch line again intact by 11.0am. Shelling continued during the day. In evening A Coy. relieved C Coy. from Scottish & Generals trench & B Coy. held WAGON trench. Very quiet night from hostile rifle fire but occasional shells sent over.

26th January 1915:

Very quiet day. Work done repairing trenches from effect of shell fire. In evening "C" Coy. take over Scottish trench, Generals trench and Wagon reserve. D Coy. take over New Cut & main Trench. B Coy. go to battn. reserve & 'A' Coy go to bde. reserve at LE PREOL. At 3.0.p.m. a draft of 92 men with 2 Lt. Russell arrives & is posted to Coys. Heavy firing a few times during the night but no attack.

(Ref: National Archives War Diaries Ref. WO95-1280)

He had arrived. But the worst was yet to come. This was hell on earth. The trenches around Givenchy were by now  filling with water and mud.  C. T. Atkinson in his 'History of the SWB' writes:

 "By this time (January 1915) the area North of Givenchy and East of Festubert was such an absolute bog that no offensive movement could have been carried out across it." 

 Benjamin was demobbed on 24 th February 1919 and like many soldiers, he was awarded medals for his service in France. They were the Victory, British and the 1914/1915 Star medals. The slang name for these three medals is Pip, Squeak and Wilfred.

 The 1914/15 Star was granted to those who saw service in Belgium and France between 23 November 1914 and 31 December 1915 and to those who served in any other military theatre between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915.

The British War Medal honoured service abroad during the war, as well as service in Russia in 1919-20. The Victory Medal was authorised in 1919 for all military and civilian personnel who had served in a theatre of military operations between 1914 and 1918.

When he returned home from fighting in the trenches, Ben was covered in lice. Luckily for him, a relative, who had the only fitted bath in the village, provided him with a very much needed wash.