Joseph Bennett (UK)

Joseph Bennett

(25.10.1924 -24.10.2016)

The story of the Arctic Convoys veteran from the United Kingdom, Joseph Bennett, was told to us by Elena Mikhailovna Kuryakova. In the 1990s, Elena Mikhailovna lived in Murmansk, where she met Joseph Bennett during his visits to Russia together with other veterans from the UK. For a long time, they corresponded by letter; Joseph Bennett shared with Elena his memories of serving in the convoys, spoke about his hometown of Edwinstowe, and found and sent additional information about the history of the Arctic Convoys in his letters.

Mr. Bennett showed great interest in and respect for Russia, enjoyed watching programs about various Russian cities on British television, and communicated with schools in Murmansk.

Now, many years later and after the veteran’s passing in 2016, Elena Mikhailovna has decided to share with us Joseph Bennett’s letters, personal items, and photographs. We are sincerely pleased that the memory of the veteran will now be preserved in our Foundation, and we express our heartfelt gratitude to Elena Mikhailovna Kuryakova!

Joseph Bennett visited Russia several times, including Murmansk in 1988, 1993, and 2005. After 2005, he no longer traveled abroad due to health reasons.

During his visits to Murmansk, Mr. Bennett participated in wreath-laying ceremonies at the site of the sinking of a British warship in the Kola Bay.

Joseph Bennett maintained friendly relations with his fellow crew members from the destroyer HMS Keppel; he was friends for many years with one of them, Harry Busby. While serving as a First-Class Stoker on the destroyer, Joseph Bennett visited Murmansk seven times. According to his recollections, most of the convoys he participated in sailed to Murmansk in winter, and although it was more difficult for German aircraft and submarines to detect the convoys during the polar night, the weather itself posed a greater danger to the ships and vessels at that time. Like many Arctic Convoy veterans, Joseph Bennett remembered the ice that covered the ship and how, if sailors from a sinking ship tried to save themselves by jumping into the sea, they would perish from the cold within a few minutes.

Despite visiting Russia seven times during the Arctic Convoys, Mr. Bennett never set foot ashore. According to his memories, the cargo ships would proceed to the port of Murmansk for unloading, while the warships remained in Vaenga to refuel and load ammunition and depth charges.

After the end of World War II, he served for another year. He left the navy in 1946 and returned home to Edwinstowe—a settlement 20 miles north of Nottingham, in Nottinghamshire. His home was half a kilometer from the famous Robin Hood Oak in Sherwood Forest. After the war, he worked as a miner at the local colliery until retirement.