Les Bennett a passionate supporter of "progress" and "justice" for mankind has passed away on the 6th April 2014 aged 94, he was born 20th March 1920 at Nursecombe near Bramley,
Les who as Branch Secretary of COHSE the health care union from 1948 was the driving force behind the union organising of health workers in the Godalming and Guildford area from the 1940's onwards. He was also a vociferous and passionate supporter of the National Health Service.
Under Les guidance the COHSE health union branch developed from a group of 10 hospital workers, to scared to make their union membership known, to a thriving union branch of over 1,000, a majority of whom were nurses.
Les Bennett was also a Hascombe Parish Council from 1953 for over fifty year, serving many years as Chairman.
He was also a regular parishioner at Hascombe village church and life long labour party member.
Les
was born the son of a Kent horticulturalist, after he left Bramley CofE
school he started work aged 14 in a garden nursery, due a motor car
accident in which he received a fractured skull he was denied an
opportunity to serve in the Royal Army Medical Corps during WW2, despite
having being a member of the Red Cross at Shalford from 1938.
He
then undertook various jobs in the building trade, it is hear that he
received his education on the importance of trade unionism. He lost his
job when the foremans son needed a job
In
July 1941 as a Bath attendant at the newly relocated St Thomas
Hospital, London, which had transferred patients to large mansion house
in Milford due to the blitz in Easter of 1941.
The
first thing the head porter told him was not to join a union, but
that's exactly what Les and a few brave individuals did, meeting
secretly at the Alton Ale House.
Les
was elected as Branch secretary when many of the original founders of
the branch moved back to London at the end of the War, taking a trade
union postal course to acquire the skills needed to represent his
members.
Les Bennett held the position of Branch Secretary from October 1948 until 1977.
One
of Les Bennetts first actions as branch secretary was to write a letter
to the COHSE journal exposing the scandal of local student nurses
forced due to lack of income to pick onions on local farms to subsidies
their meager earnings and to pay for rail tickets home
He
was elected to the local Hascombe Parish Council in 1953 having beaten
Major Goodman the local squire, a victor that caused him to be victimised but not by
the electors who returned him for the next 50 years, many as Chairman
Les
a quietly spoken man, brimming with inner confidence and a passion for
justice, he was a devoted family man committed to caring for his wife
Audrey especially during a long period of ill health towards the end of
her life, and despite his many commitments to their children Valerie and
twins Hazel, Lesley and Mary. He encouraged many young hospital workers to
become active in health care trade unionism, including Carles Martinez
who was to succeed him as Branch secretary in 1977 and held the branch
secretary position until 2007
His legacy and battles for justice will live on and those who were fortunate enough to have known him will pay respect now and long into the future
Les Bennett - Local Hero - Friend of The People
Photos
Les Bennett with Carles Martinez, who took over as Branch Secretary in 1977
and Les wife Audrey (his not in the picture were children children were Valerie, Hazel and Lesley)
With Mike Sumers COHSE Regional secretary
With Albert Spanswick COHSE General Secretary
COHSE is now Unison
