Painter, black-and-white artist and teacher, born in Nottingham, where he settled at Sherwood. After education in Loughborough he studied at Nottingham School of Art, his teachers including Arthur Spooner and Herbert Wilson Foster. At the end of commissioned service with the Sherwood Foresters in World War I, during which he was wounded several times, Benner for four months acted as mayor of the small town Vieux Conde, even though “my knowledge of French comprised three phrases,” he recalled in his memoirs. He also painted, selling pictures for 10 francs each. Back in Nottingham, Benner was art master at High Pavement School for 27 years until retirement in 1949 to Blythburgh, Suffolk. Showed at Nottingham Castle Art Gallery and Museum extensively, which acquired his work; also RBA and RI.