Frederick William Benson

Major-General Sir Frederick William Benson, KCB was a Canadian-born British Army officer.

The son of Senator James Rea Benson, Frederick Benson was educated at Upper Canada College and Royal Military College, Sandhurst, where he received a sword of honour from the Commander-in-Chief, the Duke of Cambridge upon his graduation, as well as a second sword from a fellow gentleman cadet as a mark of esteem.

Benson served as a volunteer in the Fenian raids in 1866, before joining the 21st Hussars, then in India, as a cornet, in 1868. He exchanged into the 12th Royal Lancers in 1876, passed the Staff College and was ranked captain in the 5th Dragoon Guards in 1881, before exchanging into the 17th Lancers. He was named aide-de-camp to the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western Provinces in 1877, and brigade-major at Poona from 1882 to 1884. From 1884 to 1890, he was garrison instructor at Bengal.

Leaving India, from 1892 to 1894, Benson was commander of the Egyptian Cavalry. He was Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General for Instruction, Dublin District from 1895 to 1898, and Assistant Adjutant-General, South-Eastern District from 1898 to 1900, with the rank of colonel.