Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Harveng Churchyard | Near the South side. | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.120 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 45C GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Early Life :
Born to unknown mother and John Croft and in 1881 was living at Belmont House, Brocket Road, Hoddesdon with two brothers Frank and Peter. Married Margaret Elizabeth (nee Perry) on 12th February 1898 at the Parish Church of St. Pancras. 24 Bernard Street, London. He was a Chartered Accountant (1902).Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 10th Battalion London Regiment (Hackney) |
Attached from 1/28 London Regiment 1/10th (County of London) Battalion (Hackney) August 1914 : at The Grove in Hackney. Part of 3rd London Brigade, 1st London Division. Moved on mobilisation to Bullswater, going on in September to Crowborough. April 1915 : moved to Norwich and transferred to the East Midland Brigade in East Anglian Division. 7 May 1915 : formation renamed 162nd Brigade in 54th (East Anglian) Division. Moved to St Albans. Late July 1915 : sailed from Plymouth for Gallipoli, going via Mudros. Landed at Suvla Bay 11 August 1915. December 1915 : evacuated from Gallipoli and moved to Egypt. |
| Action : The Final Advance in Picardy |
17 October - 11 November 1918. The final stage of the British advance saw them cross the Selle and the Sambre rivers as the relentless pressure was kept on the retreating Germans. By the 11th November 1918 the British army had returned to Mons, where it all started for them back in August 1914 when it made its first contact with the Germans, and where the war stopped when the Armistice was declared on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Rosemary No. 2851 E.C. | London |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
13th January 1902 | 10th March 1902 | 12th June 1902 |
In the records of United Grand Lodge and Rosemary Lodge, it shows that, in 1902, Benjamin was resident at Buckingham Palace. He resigned from this Lodge in November 1908 and then rejoined in 1912.
Discrepancies (Require checks, clarity or further research) :
CHECK THIS SOURCE DATA Captain Benjamin Croft was killed serving with the 1/28 Artist rifles. No mention of being killed with the 2/10th London Regiment. You find Officers attach to different units for experience purposes and also to fill in the gaps and act as temporary Officers. Platoon commanders etc. The 1/10th went through a phase after Ltcol Lambert was killed where they had a few acting COs. Source; James Hyde
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley