Sheffield Evening Telegraph – Thursday 22 July 1909
Denaby Hero and The King.
Received by His Majesty.
A Hearty Handshake.
Another South Yorkshire hero of the mine was honoured by the King this afternoon, Henry Benton, of Denaby, receiving from His Majesty Buckingham Palace the Edward Medal of the second class in recognition of his conspicuous bravery at Cadeby Colliery last November, when with hundreds tons of roof failing saved the life of filler named Green.
With the plucky Yorkshireman was another gallant miner from the West country, one the Welsh heroes who as second mate merchant ship played such heroic part during the Messina earthquake, heroine from Liverpool, and others whose bravery in their humble callings land and sea had won recognition from the King. The recipients assembled at the Home Office, whence they were driven under the direction of the King Messenger to the audience with His Majesty. There was nothing outwardly to distinguish the little band of heroes they were, when they arrived at the imposing building in Whitehall, and they were unnoticed by the passers-by.
Cool And Collected.
It was, however, easy indeed for a ‘Yorkshire Telegraph and Star” representative to identify the Cadeby miner—a typical, broad-shouldered, sturdy Yorkshireman. There was the collier’s mark upon hia face. He was as cool and collected in going see the King as in descending the pit. With him was Mr. H. S. Witty, the manager of the Cadeby Colliery, who is acting as his guide, philosopher, and friend daring the visit to the Metropolis, which will extend over several days, and during which Benton will see the Fleet among other of the sights.
At the Palace, His Majesty, besides decorating the heroes, held an investiture for the conferment Knighthoods and other honours. There was as in consequence a crowd of sightseers around the gilded gates of the Palace Yard keenly interested in the stream of vehicles bearing high military men in magnificent uniform ablaze with medals, and distinguished and other public men in picturesque levee dress.
Little Band of Heroes.
Among this splendid procession the taxi-cabs of the little band of heroes in their ordinary beetclothes attracted no public attention. Prior their being led to the Royal presence the King bestowed the insignia of the various honours conferred on occasion of his birthday. The ceremony took place the splendid Picture Gallery, His Majesty s’ arrival in the apartment being signalled the playing of the National Anthem by the band of the Scots Guards, who with a guard of honour of the same regiment were stationed the Quadrangle in front of the Palace.
The King was attired military uniform, and was attended the Lords, Grooms, and Equerries in-Waiting, the Lord Chamberlain, the Home Secretary. Mr. Winston Churchill, and the Household Staff. The scene was brilliant one.
It was into this gorgeous apartment that the Denaby miner and other recipients of the Edward and Albert Medals tiled at the end the dazzling line of new Knighfs.
Benton was placed that he saw the King lightly touch one of the Judges with his sword, and the kneeling Judge rose with the honour of Knighthood conferred. Whilst impressed with the splendour of the scene. Benton was not by any means overwhelmed with timidity entering the Royal presence.
Not Nervous,
“If I’d done owt wrong, I might have been,” he said afterwards in the broadest dialect of the West Riding when asked if he felt any nerves when appearing before the King. “Nay, I was as nervous as I was in getting down my dinner,” he joked, ”By goom they gied us a fine feed.”
Benton has happy memories of his audience with the King. It was brief but very pleasant ceremony the names of the recipients of medals for bravery were announced they passed forward to the chair in which, with smiles for each, the King was seated. His Majesty himself pinned the Edward Medal upon Benton’s breast with a few tactful words congratulation, and then offered his hand to the sturdy miner, himself wearing a proud smile.
To quote Benton’s own words, “I gied him a good Yorkshire grip, and he laughed.”
Another who shook hands with the Yorkshire miner, as well as the recipients of the Albert Medals for gallantry, was the President of the Board of Trade. Before they set out for the Home Office the group of heroes had received invitation to the guests of the King at lunch, and after the ceremony they were taken to dining-room and given substantial homely dinner of beef and pudding