Benjamin Handley Geary
Second Lieutenant, 4th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. (attached to 1st Battalion)
- Register No.
- 445 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Second Lieutenant all Second Lieutenants →
- Unit
- 4th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. (attached to 1st Battalion) all East Surrey Regiment VCs →
- Date of action
- 20–21 April 1915 on this day → all of 1915 →
- Conflict / campaign
- First World War
- London Gazette
- 15th October, 1915 on this day → all of 1915 →
- Born
- 29th June 1891 at Marylebone, London
- Died
- 26th May 1976 at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
- Memorial / grave
- not known
Digest of citation
On 20th and 21st April 1915 on Hill 60 near Ypres, Belgium, Second Lieutenant Geary led his men across exposed open ground swept by fierce enemy fire to join survivors of the Bedfordshire Regiment in a crater at the top of the hill, which she held against artillery and bomb attacks during the evening and night. Each attack was repulsed mainly owing to the fine example and personal gallantry of Second Lieutenant Geary. He deliberately expose himself to enemy fire in order to see by the light of flares the whereabouts of the enemy. He was severely wounded early on 21st April
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
GEARY, Benjamin Handley. (reg No. 445).
Second Lieutenant. 4th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. (attached to 1st Battalion).
London Gazetted on 15th October, 1915.
Born on 29th June 1891 at Marylebone, London.
Died on 26th May 1976 at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada.
Memorial not known.
Digest of Citation reads: On 20th and 21st April 1915 on Hill 60 near Ypres, Belgium, Second Lieutenant Geary led his men across exposed open ground swept by fierce enemy fire to join survivors of the Bedfordshire Regiment in a crater at the top of the hill, which she held against artillery and bomb attacks during the evening and night. Each attack was repulsed mainly owing to the fine example and personal gallantry of Second Lieutenant Geary. He deliberately expose himself to enemy fire in order to see by the light of flares the whereabouts of the enemy. He was severely wounded early on 21st April.
Additional information:. Major Geary, in 1926, served as Chaplain to the Forces. During the Second World War he served with the Canadian Army.
Additional information
Major Geary, in 1926, served as Chaplain to the Forces. During the Second World War he served with the Canadian Army.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: not known
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