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It is with deep sadness that I have to announce the passing of John Bensley.
I First met John in 1971 when i was a new Gunner and was sent to the RQMS stores for a long stand, needless to say i stood there all NAAFI Break.
From the Everywhere Magazine (in house Magazine of 94 LOC)
THE APPRECIATION THAT APPEARS BELOW WAS WRITTEN BY OUR PATRON, FOR THE GUNNER MAGAZINE AND WILL APPEAR IN THE FEBRUARY EDITION
I first met John Bensley in 1974 when I became CO of 94 Locating Regiment in Celle. He was then the RQMS (Tech), with a wealth of experience and an easy, approachable manner that made him a very popular member of the regiment. He and his wife Alice were great supporters of the Warrant Officers' and Sergeants' Mess and they had many friends. John had been in 94 since the early 1960s and what he did not know about the regiment and its equipment and its personalities was really not worth knowing. I left 94 in the summer of 1977 and John retired from the Army later that same year and joined Bainbridge's, part of the John Lewis group, in the Newcastle area near where he and Alice made their home. And that could well have been the end of the story, but in 1994 our paths were to cross again.
By then I too was retired but was still the Honorary Colonel of 94, the regiment now being stationed at Larkhill. John had become involved in the production of a newsletter for former members of the regiment which had been started about eighteen months earlier by his friend Roy Thomas, who had recently become terminally ill. John was determined to see that the newsletter survived. During that year, when 94 went into suspended animation, John contacted me shortly after the farewell parade and sought my support for the production of an expanded quarterly newsletter to be known as "Everywhere". Once launched, its circulation grew quickly, and when John's proposal for a reunion weekend was enthusiastically supported, that too became a most popular annual event. And so the 94 Old Comrades' Association came into being, almost without us knowing it, and thanks entirely to his efforts. He worked tirelessly on the newsletter, editing the correspondence with much friendliness and good humour and acting as the MC over the reunion weekends with great style. In 2003, by which time there was a mailing list of more than 300, John was taken ill and though he made a pretty good recovery, he had to hand over the reins to Drew Strachan. John was invited to become Life President of the Association and for a few years he and Alice were still able to attend the reunions, but soon after the 2006 Reunion he suffered a stroke, followed a few weeks later by a more serious one from which he never really recovered. He died peacefully on December 20th, in hospital and we had all lost a great friend.
He will be sorely missed by us all and to Alice, and his sons Chris, Ian and their families, we send our deepest condolences. We owe him a real debt of gratitude for bringing the Association into being. His life and his experiences in the regiment that meant so much to him and his many long lasting friendships made him the very best possible "Old Comrade". Thank you, John.
RJC
Maj Gen Crossley
RIP John.
I First met John in 1971 when i was a new Gunner and was sent to the RQMS stores for a long stand, needless to say i stood there all NAAFI Break.
From the Everywhere Magazine (in house Magazine of 94 LOC)
THE APPRECIATION THAT APPEARS BELOW WAS WRITTEN BY OUR PATRON, FOR THE GUNNER MAGAZINE AND WILL APPEAR IN THE FEBRUARY EDITION
I first met John Bensley in 1974 when I became CO of 94 Locating Regiment in Celle. He was then the RQMS (Tech), with a wealth of experience and an easy, approachable manner that made him a very popular member of the regiment. He and his wife Alice were great supporters of the Warrant Officers' and Sergeants' Mess and they had many friends. John had been in 94 since the early 1960s and what he did not know about the regiment and its equipment and its personalities was really not worth knowing. I left 94 in the summer of 1977 and John retired from the Army later that same year and joined Bainbridge's, part of the John Lewis group, in the Newcastle area near where he and Alice made their home. And that could well have been the end of the story, but in 1994 our paths were to cross again.
By then I too was retired but was still the Honorary Colonel of 94, the regiment now being stationed at Larkhill. John had become involved in the production of a newsletter for former members of the regiment which had been started about eighteen months earlier by his friend Roy Thomas, who had recently become terminally ill. John was determined to see that the newsletter survived. During that year, when 94 went into suspended animation, John contacted me shortly after the farewell parade and sought my support for the production of an expanded quarterly newsletter to be known as "Everywhere". Once launched, its circulation grew quickly, and when John's proposal for a reunion weekend was enthusiastically supported, that too became a most popular annual event. And so the 94 Old Comrades' Association came into being, almost without us knowing it, and thanks entirely to his efforts. He worked tirelessly on the newsletter, editing the correspondence with much friendliness and good humour and acting as the MC over the reunion weekends with great style. In 2003, by which time there was a mailing list of more than 300, John was taken ill and though he made a pretty good recovery, he had to hand over the reins to Drew Strachan. John was invited to become Life President of the Association and for a few years he and Alice were still able to attend the reunions, but soon after the 2006 Reunion he suffered a stroke, followed a few weeks later by a more serious one from which he never really recovered. He died peacefully on December 20th, in hospital and we had all lost a great friend.
He will be sorely missed by us all and to Alice, and his sons Chris, Ian and their families, we send our deepest condolences. We owe him a real debt of gratitude for bringing the Association into being. His life and his experiences in the regiment that meant so much to him and his many long lasting friendships made him the very best possible "Old Comrade". Thank you, John.
RJC
Maj Gen Crossley
RIP John.
