Ivan Thomas Bennett, RCNVR

For Posterity's Sake

A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project

Service information for:

Ivan Thomas Bennett

RCNVR

As of April 2024, Ivan is alive and well having celebrated his 100th birthday in late 2023

Ships served in:

HMCS ARVIDA - Served in ARVIDA Feb 1943 - Jan 1944

ML Q077 - Served in Q077 Jun-Aug 1944

HMCS HALLOWELL - Served in HALLOWELL Sep 1944 - early 1945

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(IB01) Portrait of Ivan Thomas Bennett

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(IB02) Ivan Bennet on duty on ARVIDA's after gun tub (bandstand)

(IB03) Ivan's shipmates and his brother (Army) at Trafalgar Square, London, Sept 1943 - Top left to right: Jones, Morrison, unknown, Ken Bennett (Army), Webb, unknown. Bottom L-R: Briggs, Parkin, Ivan Bennett

(IB04) HMCS ARVIDA and HMCS OTTAWA H31 - with notes

(IB05) HMCS ARVIDA conducting a light-line transfer with ship in foreground - Winter 1942. Webmaster's comment - photo description says the Barber pole was C5 EG - however in Winter 1942 it was C3 EG. It became the symbol of C5 in 1943

(IB06) "Fearless Fraser" on HMCS ARVIDA. The "Wicker hampers are what we received bread in (black) when in Ireland"

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(IB07) "Toot" Naish on HMCS ARVIDA. The "Wicker hampers are what we received bread in (black) when in Ireland"

(IB08) Unidentified sailor on HMCS ARVIDA

(IB09) L/Tel "Mac" MacDermid on HMCS ARVIDA

IB10) Ivan Bennett on HMCS ARVIDA, Southside Jetty, St. John's, NFLD

(IB11) Danny Kitchen on HMCS ARVIDA

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(IB12) Parkin and Danny Kitchen on HMCS ARVIDA

(IB13) Bob Langraff, Webb, Bennett and unknown on HMCS ARVIDA. Bob survived the torpedoing of HMCS SAGUENAY in 1940 and the later ramming by a freighter

(IB14) "The Happy Gang" - Gus Flynn, Chris Christopher, Art Leblanc on HMCS ARVIDA

(IB15) Bob Weir on HMCS ARVIDA - 1943

(IB16) Gus Flynn on HMCS ARVIDA

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(IB17) Unidentified sailor on HMCS ARVIDA, Southside Jetty, St. John's, NFLD -The kid in behind the sailor came down to docks regularly to sell ice cream to the crew

(IB18) Bob Langraff on HMCS ARVIDA wearing his new life belt with flashing head lamp

(IB19) "After the Storm". Three ARVIDA sailors on the jetty in St. John's, NFLD. Note the missing searchlight, port sea boat, floats, etc.

(IB20) Note on Ray Scalzo becoming a ship's cook

(IB21) HMCS ARVIDA (foreground) conducting a transfer at sea with unknown ship

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(IB22) ASDIC Operators (Submarine Detectors) on HMCS ARVIDA

(IB23) "Fearless" Fraser painting the gremlin (logo) on the funnel

(IB24) Pinder and Gus Flynn on HMCS ARVIDA

(IB25-IB26) HMCS ARVIDA rendezvous with HMCS ST CROIX Aug 1943.

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(IB27) ARVIDA's seaboat fetches the doctor from HMCS ST CROIX for treatment of a storm casualty. The doctor was Prime Minister MacKenzie King's nephew who later died in the sinking of HMS ITCHEN on 23 Sep 1943 - having been rescued by ITCHEN after HMCS ST CROIX was sunk by U-305 on 20 Sep 1943

(IB28) RN destroyer HMS BURNHAM departing Londonderry

(IB29) American "C.B." Base, Londonderry, Northern Ireland - outboard to inboard - HMCS KOOTENAY, HMCS SASKATCHEWAN, HMS NENE, unknown corvette

(IB30) "The White Watch" skylarking with our new issue life jackets." L-R (standing) Jones, Morrison, Naish, Bennett, (kneeling) Riley and Abbott

(IB31) HMCS ARVIDA oiling from ship in convoy

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(IB32-IB33) HMCS ARVIDA oiling from ship in convoy

(IB33) CO of HMCS ARVIDA looking over rail to check on oil lines while fueling

(IB34) HMCS ARVIDA replenishing her supply of depth chards from ship in convoy

(IB35) Fraser and Moe on HMCS ARVIDA

(IB36) "Toot" Naish by the port bridge wing 20mm Oerlikon on HMCS ARVIDA

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(IB37) Bob Weir, McLeland and Ivan Bennett working on the port bridge wing 20 MM Oerlikon gun on HMCS ARVIDA. This was my (Ivan Bennett) action station gun with Toot Naish

(IB38) Sunning and resting on the "Fiddly" deck aft of the funnel on HMCS ARVIDA

(IB39) Off watch and sunning on the starboard boat deck on HMCS ARVIDA

(IB40) Mo and Riley on the Quarterdeck of HMCS ARVIDA. Depth charge rails with smoke floats on top. Hatches lead to Stores and Tiller flats

(IB41) Tom Riley (right) and Ivan Bennett splicing wire on HMCS ARVIDA