The Victorian 1979: David Ogilvie Bennett

Victorians, here there and everywhere from “The Victorian, 1979”
Collated by “Dixie” Landick

When a team of present-day Victorians was packing the last edition of this magazine in readiness for posting to you, the Editor agreed to my request that a copy of a letter should be inserted in each “Victorian” being sent ‘to an address outside Jersey. The letter asked for news of overseas O.V.s and the response has been most encouraging.

The first selection of those replies is published in this issue and others are lined up for the Summer 1980 edition. Nevertheless, many more replies are eagerly awaited and although readers will note that we certainly have news of “O.V.s There and Every- where”, the request for news of O.V.s here in Jersey is equally important and made again herewith! Please write. This edition’s notes are not arranged in any particular order, except for the first letter. and I am sure no O.V. will dispute its pride of place. L.A.L.

Our first letter comes from Lt.-Colonel Ogilvie David Bennett (Indian Army, retd.), who is 94, repeat ninety- four, years of age. It was indeed a great thrill to receive Colonel Bennett’s letter, written in his own hand. This very senior and distinguished O.V. entered College in 1895. Whilst at V.C.J., he won the Medal for Modern Languages and left in 1902 to enter Sandhurst. For his last two years at College he had been Captain of Cricket. He went to India in 1903 and was soon posted to the 26th Punjabis. Colonel Bennett served for a total, of 21 years on the North West Frontier. He writes . . .

“In 1908 I joined the Khyber Rifles, my chief duty consisting of shepherding caravans and travellers safely through the 20-mile Khyber Pass. The men of the Khyber Rifles were all wild Transborder Pathans, enlisted from the very same frontier tribes who carried out the raids on caravans and travellers. We operated on the principle of ‘set a thief to catch a thief‘! Later I was given command of the Mohmand Militia, consisting 'of 1500 wild Transborder Mohmands. With my knowledge of their language (Pushtu), I never found any difficulty in controlling these wild men with the help of five British officers under me.”

“The tricky time was during the First World War. In those days, the Transborder value of a rifle was 1,000 Rupees, so the temptation for a man to skip off with his rifle across the Border. a mile away, was intense. Every night the Governor of the N.W.F. used to phone me: ‘Well, Bennett, how many deserters now?’ My invariable answer was ‘None, Sir’, until at long last three men went off with their rifles and effectively blotted my copybook!”

“In 1927 I was given command of the 15th Punjab Regiment and finally retired on pension in 1933 “

Colonel Bennett concludes his letter by apologising for his handwriting. I can assure him and all readers of these notes that his handwriting is still a model of neatness and legibility and that my colleagues on the teaching staff would be delighted if all present-day Victorians could produce a script of such quality! We all join in wishing him continued good health and many more years of happy retirement at his residence in Hastings.

Tony's Supplement

I've done some digging around, and found out more about this old soldier and his life.

Ogilvie David Bennett was born on 10 June 1885 in West Bengal, India, his father, John, was 45 and his mother, Sophia, was 30. He married Audrey Elizabeth Ferrier Grant and they had three children together. He then married Dorothy Elizabeth Mary Burder on 6 September 1945 in Taunton, Somerset.. He died on 14 June 1987 in Tilshead, Wiltshire, at the age of 102.

Born 10 Jun 1885, Rawal Pinder, Bengal, India
Died Jun 1987, Noads House, Tilshead, Wiltshire, England

College Register: 2526 Bennett, Ogilvie David is the son of Dr J Bennett, Beau Desert. Brother of 2604,2732. Gained Modern Language Medal. Left 1902. Entered Sandhurst and Indian Army (26th Punjabis). In the Great War he served in Mohmand Militia (Kyber Rifles) as Major. Indian Army 1918. Second in Command, 2nd Battalion, 15th Punjab Regiment. Address: Lloyd’s Bank, King’s Branch, Bombay.

Brother of Alexander Dumaresq Bennett, John Edgar Bennett and Gwendolin Bennett

He married Audrey Elizabeth Ferrier Grant (born on 1 Nov 1897 in Abbottabad, Bengal, India), daughter of Sir Alfred Hamilton Grant of Dalvey, 12th Battalion on 1 November 1920.1 She died on 28 February 1938 at age 40.