DELAWARE VALLEY ORNrTHOLOGICAL CLUB. 43 



Archibald Benners, an Associate Member of the D. V. 0. C. , 

 died in the service of his country in France, July 3, 1918, aged 

 twenty-one years. 



Being away from home, at school much of the time, since his 

 election he attended but few meetings of the Club, but was 

 thoroughly interested in its work and in the study of Ornithol- 

 ogy. He secured many of the specimens contained in the val- 

 uable collection of mounted birds recently presented to the 

 Academy by his father George B. Benners, and aided him in 

 bringing together the splendid oological collection which he 

 possesses. 



Archie Benners was born April 27, 1897, in Philadelphia, and 

 attended the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington, Va. , from 

 which he was graduated in 1917, six months ahead of time to 

 enable him to enter the War College at Washington in order to 

 obtain his commission in the Marine Corps. He served at 

 Paris Island, S. C, and at Quantico, Va., and sailed for France 

 on January 19, 1917, as Second Lieutenant in the 6th Regiment 

 of Marines. 



He was wounded near Verdun in March, but soon recovered 

 and went back to duty. Was wounded again in May and went 

 back again, and finally on June 3 was mortally wounded at 

 Belleau Wood when the 5th and 6th Regiments of Marines, 

 composed of 8000 men, defeated nearly 30,000 of the Prussian 

 Guards and saved Paris. Only 2000 men came through that 

 fight, unwounded. 



He died on July 3 in a hospital near Paris, and is buried in 

 the Marine Cemetery in Belleau Wood, which has been named 

 by the French government " Marine Wood." 



A number of his superior officers, who have since been inter- 

 viewed, state that Archie was a very brave man and always vol- 

 unteered for dangerous duty. He had just been promoted to 

 First Lieutenant and recommended for a decoration. 



Those who knew Archie Benners appreciated the earnestness 

 of his character and his high moral standard, and a few who 

 saw him just before he sailed were struck with what a splendid 

 figure of a soldier he made. In his death the Club loses a val- 

 uable member and the country a brave officer. — W. S. 



