After being demobilised, Benson returned to work in the West African mining industry. In January 1947 he accepted employment with London and African Mining Trust Ltd in Nigeria, initially based in Sokoto Province. In Sept. 1948 he moved to another mining job within the colony, working for Mines Development Syndicate (West Africa) as a prospector and field superintendent. In late 1950, he began working for Consolidated African Selection Trust in the Gold Coast prospecting for diamonds. He worked for the company in Ghana until the mid-1960s, at which time he joined the Ghana Geological Survey Department in 1965 and soon after transferred to the State Diamond Mining Corporation as Acting Mine Manager.

Benson’s letters describe working and living conditions in the West African mining industry, reflecting his experience in the camps as a prospector and field superintendent, and later as a manager. He discusses mining practices, company policies, employment and labour relations, and the effect of Ghana’s independence upon the industry. The letters also contain details relating to his family, friends, social life, travel and observations upon the people of Nigeria and Ghana. The file includes two photographs (two copies of each) taken during a fancy dress party at Abakalihi, Nigeria, at Christmas 1949.