Charles Edward Benson was born 19th April 1919 in Upper Grove Common, Sellack and was baptised in Sellack Church.
He enlisted in the Army in 1939 and was posted to the 2nd Battalion Kings Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI), rising to the rank of Corporal. He served abroad for over two years in Jamaica and the West Indies and on his return to England, the 2nd Battalion KSLI joined the 185th Brigade, 3rd Division. Following movement for training in Scotland, the KSLI was moved to Haywards Heath, which was one of the multitude of camps set up for the concentration of troops for embarkment for D-Day.
The KSLI landed on Sword beach at approximately 10am to reinforce the first wave of landings. They lost many men to drowning and enemy fire, as the beach was still not secure. After assembling in an orchard, the battalion and other units advanced towards their objective, Caen. At 12.30pm, the KSLI led the advance on Caen. They suffered 113 casualties including 21 killed, about 14% of their total number. They advanced further than any other Allied troops on D-Day and had beaten off the only German armoured counter attack.
The 2nd Battalion KSLI fought and advanced all the way to Holland by November 1944, when they were placed in a defensive role holding the line of the River Maas in Holland. They were never out of German artillery range and on the 10th November 1944 the Regimental Aid Post took a direct hit killing 3 and wounding 8 soldiers. Charles was one of those killed, close to the city of Venray.
Charles is buried in Mierlo Cemetary, Holland (plot 8, Row b, Grave 10). Date of reburial 22nd November 1945. The inscription on his headstone reads ‘Until the day break and the shadows flee away’.