For his counterpart from another universe, see John Benton (parallel space-time continuum).
John Benton was a British Army warrant officer who held the post of regimental sergeant major under Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in the United Kingdom branch of the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. Prior to this, he served under Lethbridge-Stewart as both a corporal and a sergeant.
UNIT service[]
During the summer of 1971, Corporal Benton and a soldier named Tracy conducted undercover surveillance work outside the central office of International Electromatics in London. (DW: "The Invasion")
Later that year, he held the rank of sergeant. (DW: "The Ambassadors of Death")
Later life[]
By 2013, photographs of John Benton were held by the Black Archive. These included a photograph of him standing alongside Leela, and a photograph of him with Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan. (DW: "The Day of the Doctor")
Family and interests[]
He had a younger sister. On the day of Guy Crayford's return to Earth in 1975, he agreed to meet her at eight o'clock outside a Chinese takeaway so that he could take her to a dance at The Palais. (DW: "The Android Invasion")
He was a follower of rugby and was capable of flying a helicopter. (DW: "The Dæmons") During their time in UNIT, he taught Mike Yates how to make toad in the hole. (Serpent Crest: "Survivors in Space")
Appendices[]
Appearances[]
- Doctor Who:
- "The Invasion"
- "The Ambassadors of Death"
- "Inferno"
- "Terror of the Autons"
- "The Mind of Evil"
- "The Claws of Axos"
- "The Dæmons"
- "Day of the Daleks"
- "The Time Monster"
- "The Three Doctors"
- "The Green Death"
- "Invasion of the Dinosaurs"
- "Planet of the Spiders"
- "Robot"
- "Terror of the Zygons"
- "The Android Invasion"
- "The Day of the Doctor" (photograph)
- "The Zygon Inversion" (photograph)
- "Liberty Hall" (archive footage only)
- The Sarah Jane Adventures: "Death of the Doctor" (archive footage only)
- Destiny of the Doctor: "Vengeance of the Stones"
References[]
- Doctor Who:
- Serpent Crest: "Survivors in Space"
Background[]
- John Benton was played by actor John Levene.
- In "The Dæmons", Benton uses a Walther P38 (with and without a silencer) as a sidearm. In "The Time Monster", his sidearm is a Walther PPK, which becomes a Beretta M1934 between shots.
- Between "The Dæmons" and "The Green Death", Benton's service dress uniform bears a 3rd class (or staff) crimson aiguilette on his left shoulder, signifying attachés, assistants and aides-de-camp in the British Army.
- From "Robot" onwards, Benton's service dress uniform displays the General Service Medal (1962).