86771 Private Thomas S Benton, 41st Signal Coy Royal Engineers

Thomas Benton was a patient at Hickwells in August 1915. His entry in Nurse Oliver’s album reads:

Pte T Benton
No 86771
41st Signal Coy
Royal Engineers

August 5th 1915

He shares this page with entries from L Reed and 20491 Private William Holt of the 20th London Regiment.

Private Benton’s medal index card at The National Archives indicates that he has the middle initial S. There is a four year old Thomas S Benton listed on the 1901 census return for Cottenham, Cambridgeshire (also born in Cottenham) who is probably Thomas Stanley Benton (birth registered in the June 1897 quarter at Chesterton, Cambridgeshire). Further research is necessary however to identify whether Nurse Oliver’s Benton is the same man who was born in Cottenham.