Frederick Benson


Sir Frederick Benson

Born(1849-08-02)2 August 1849
St. Catharines, Canada West
Died20 August 1916(1916-08-20) (aged 67)
Montreal, Canada
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service / branchCanadian Militia
British Army
Years of service1866–1909
RankMajor-General
CommandsEgyptian Cavalry
Battles / warsFenian raids
Second Boer War
First World War
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Mentioned in Despatches
RelationsJames Rea Benson (father)
Charles Fortescue Ingersoll (grandfather)

Major-General Sir Frederick William Benson, KCB (2 August 1849 – 20 August 1916) was a Canadian-born British Army officer. Born into a prominent Canadian family, Benson fought in the Fenian raids as a teen, before proceeding to England to pursue a military career. A cavalry officer, Benson spent much of his early career in India, with the exception of a stint in England to attend the Staff College. He then commanded the Egyptian Cavalry and fought in the Second Boer War as a staff officer with the 6th Division, held a number of senior administrative appointments, before retiring in 1909. On the outbreak of the First World War, Benson went to Canada as the head of the British Remount Commission, tasked with buying horses and mules for the British Army. He died in post in Montreal in 1916.