BENTLEY, Ronald Arthur
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Corporal Ronald Bentley, Royal Marines, died from a head injury which occurred in the UK.
His unit is only shown as Royal Marines on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database, and he was not initially listed on our Archive as a Commando. However a newspaper report on the inquest into his death has been found which records him as a Royal Marine Commando based at Wrexham. [see notes]
Extract from the Liverpool Echo - Thursday 14 December 1944.
"Commando's Road Death :- The mystery of a Royal Marine Commando’s head injuries, which resulted in his death in hospital, was not cleared up at the Winwick (Warrington) inquest on Ronald Arthur Bentley, 20, of The Cotterelds, Hemel Hempstead. Herts. Bentley died in the Winwick Emergency Hospital on November 28, the day after admission. Two Commandos who were with Bentley on November 26 said they had missed the train from Chester to Wrexham so started to walk back to Wrexham They lost Bentley in the dark, could not find him, and got a lift to Wrexham by car."
"Joseph W. Jackson, of Newton, Gresford, a cyclist, said he found Bentley early in the morning in the gutter. He was unconscious, so he (witness) stopped a passing bus and had him taken to Rossett Police Station. A doctor said Bentley only had a small wound on the head, but he had died from an injury to the brain. The Deputy Coroner (Mr. A. V. Cunliffe) recording an open verdict, said there might be several explanations about how Bentley came by his death, but be thought it wise to state that he died as a result of head injuries, but how they were sustained there was no evidence to show." [2]His Service Record should be checked for confirmation of service in a Commando. In the meantime he is listed in our Special Service Roll of Honour (Service in a Commando not fully established). [see notes] Sources CWGC Report in the Liverpool Echo Thursday 14 December 1944. British Newspaper Archive (website britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk); The British Library Board. Notes
- The Register for Royal Marine War Deaths 1939-1945 show him as Chatham division. Within the register his unit is headed as RM Home Establishments.
- The Holding Operational Commando was based at Wrexham.
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