Major Benjamin Handley Geary VC (29 June 1891 – 26 May 1976) was a

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

and Commonwealth forces.

Early life

Geary was educated at

Dulwich College Preparatory School Dulwich Prep London (DPL), formerly known as Dulwich College Preparatory School, is an independent preparatory school in Dulwich, south London, England for boys aged 3–13 years. The current Head Master is Louise Davidson. In 1938 headmaster ...

and St Edmund's School, Canterbury, then went up to Keble College, Oxford, in 1910. After graduating he taught at

Forest School Forest School or Forrest School may refer to: Educational philosophy * Forest school (learning style), a learner centred outdoor learning approach. Religious philosophy * Thai Forest Tradition, a Theravada school of Buddhism in Thailand. * Sri La ...

in Walthamstow (then in Essex, now absorbed into Greater London) 1913–14. On the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he was commissioned into the

Special Reserve The Special Reserve was established on 1 April 1908 with the function of maintaining a reservoir of manpower for the British Army and training replacement drafts in times of war. Its formation was part of the military reforms implemented by Ri ...

on 15 August 1914 as a second lieutenant in the 4th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. Soon afterwards he was sent to France and attached to the regular 1st Battalion serving on the Western Front.

VC

On 20 and 21 April 1915 the 1st Battalion was in action on Hill 60 near

Ypres Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality c ...

. 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. Geary's subsequent actions earned him the VC. The citation reads:

Later life

Geary was evacuated to England having been shot in the head and lost the sight in his left eye; his right eye was also seriously impaired. He was promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

, worked on ground duties with the Royal Flying Corps, returned to France (still with the RFC) in 1916 and was appointed acting captain. In January 1918 he rejoined the 1st Battalion East Surrey Regiment in Italy, still as acting captain, and commanded a company although medically he should not have returned to active duty. Later that year he returned to France and was wounded again. He retired from Army in 1919 with the rank of captain. VCBenjaminHandleyGearyGrave

Geary took Holy Orders in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

, having studied at

Wycliffe Hall, Oxford Wycliffe Hall is a Church of England theological college and a permanent private hall of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is named after the Bible translator and reformer John Wycliffe, who was master of Balliol College, Oxf ...

, and after other Church posts served as

Chaplain to the Forces The Royal Army Chaplains' Department (RAChD) is an all-officer department that provides ordained clergy to minister to the British Army. History The Army Chaplains' Department (AChD) was formed by Royal Warrant of 23 September 1796; until the ...

1926–27. He then resigned and emigrated to Canada. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

he served with the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also res ...

and achieved the rank of Major. After the war he was Sergeant-at-Arms of the Ontario Legislature 1947–71, then retired but was for a time historian for the Legislature.GEARY, Major Benjamin Handley
''Who Was Who'', A & C Black, 1920–2015; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014 His grave and memorial are at St Mark's Church Cemetery, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.

The medal

Geary's Victoria Cross and other medals are displayed at the

Canadian War Museum The Canadian War Museum (french: link=no, Musée canadien de la guerre; CWM) is a national museum on the country's military history in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The museum serves as both an educational facility on Canadian military history, in ad ...

Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, Canada.

References

*''

Monuments to Courage David Charles Harvey (29 July 1946 – 4 March 2004) was a historian and author. He is notable for his seminal work, ''Monuments To Courage'', which documents the graves of almost all recipients of the Victoria Cross, a task that took him over 3 ...

'' (David Harvey, 1999) *''

The Register of the Victoria Cross ''The Register of the Victoria Cross'' is a reference work that provides brief information on every Victoria Cross awarded until the publication date. Each entry provides a summary of the deed, along with a photograph of the recipient and the fo ...

'' (This England, 1997) *''

VCs of the First World War - The Western Front 1915 ''VCs of the First World War'' is a series of books that list the Victoria Cross recipients of the First World War. The series consists of 13 books written by four different authors, first published under the label Sutton Publishing Limited, part ...

'' (Peter F. Batchelor & Christopher Matson, 1999)

External links

Geary's Medals at the Canadian War MuseumGeary's biography at Keble College's website
Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment {{DEFAULTSORT:Geary, Benjamin Handley British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross British Army personnel of World War I East Surrey Regiment officers 1891 births 1976 deaths Canadian Army officers English emigrants to Canada People educated at St Edmund's School Canterbury People from Marylebone Canadian military personnel of World War II Royal Army Chaplains' Department officers British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross Alumni of Keble College, Oxford Alumni of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford 20th-century English Anglican priests