Rev. W. Benton 221 



as Sniping Officer, to organise scouting and sniping schoo'.s all 

 round the country. 



While carrying out these duties he was thrown a good deal 

 in the society of Major Tullock, D.S.O., the 1st Batt. West Kent 

 Regiment, who became a close and valued friend, and he tells 

 me Captain Benton was rather upset at having to undertake 

 theoretical and practical instruction for officers and men 

 instead of being at the front. 



After it was pointed out to him that the influence he would 

 have in the training of men at home would be farther reaching 

 than he could hope for in France, he became reconciled and 

 entered heartily into the task. 



Those who understand these things say Captain Benton was 

 a most thorough and able instructor and lecturer, and besides 

 this did " untold good, being aided by his wonderful per- 

 sonality." 



His lectures were listened to with deep interest and attention. 

 Knowing his subject from A to Z, his audience soon gained 

 confidence in him, and every word he uttered carried weight. 

 By degrees, instead of hundreds attending his classes, there were 

 thousands, and he began to think that perhaps after all he was 

 doing his share for England as truly as if in the trenches. 



He considered the average Englishman the most unimagina- 

 tive and unsuspicious of men, and he used to have some fun in 

 consequence, while endeavouring to teach his classes to be more 

 observant. He would tell them to meet him at a given point 

 and then appear there dressed in some old civilian clothes 

 topped with a most disreputable old cap, under which his face 

 was disguised by the free use of charcoal and some mud. He 

 would walk past his class first of all to see if any of them would 

 recognise him, and as they never did under such circumstances 

 he then walked up to them and began asking questions as to 

 what they were doing there, keeping up a whistling accompani- 

 ment to himself all the time. Finally he would make himself 

 known, pointing out at the same time that if a scout were so 

 unsuspicious he would not be much use to his country. 



Captain Benton was distinctly practical, and in order to 

 increase the watchfulness of one of his classes he told them that 

 he would pass along a certain road between definite hours and 

 they were to meet him. He then left the class to go and think 



