Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (38153 Serjt. B. J. F. Bentley. Brabant’s Horse) officially re-impressed naming, with latter part of unit additionally officially corrected, cleaned, very fine £70-£90

Bede John Francis Bentley was born in 1879 and enlisted at Cape Town for Warren’s Mounted Infantry on 14 February 1901. He is also noted as a Corporal with the Special Squadron South African Mounted Irregular Forces, later appointed Sergeant with 1st Brabant’s Horse. He served as Captain in the Royal Army Service Corps during the Great War and caught the attention of the Westminster Gazette in 1925 when he came before Mr. Justice McCardie in the King’s Bench Division claiming £300,000 for his part in the invention of the tanks used to win the war:

‘His case was that in 1914 he demonstrated his tank invention to Lord Kitchener, and that an arrangement was then arrived at under which he was entitled to payment. Lord Kitchener assured him that his interests would be looked after and protected.’

Bentley’s claim against the Crown was dismissed, the judge preferring to focus upon the virtues of Churchill and General Swinton in delivering the project. He died on 6 May 1939, the Daily Mail recalling the court case under the headline: ‘Claimed £300,000 - Leaves £5.’