Details of Owen's life, as passed on to us by his brother John Bennett (bigben):
OWEN JAMES THOMAS BENNETT was born in Aldershot on 20th April 1922 He joined RAOC as a Regimental Boy in the mid thirties. On the outbreak of war he was transferred to the Northamptonshire Regiment and was deployed to N Africa as part of the 8thArmy. He was given a wartime commision during this time. He saw service in Italy(he was at Montecassino) and later in NW Europe. He finished the war as a Lt. He then went back RAOC and was recommissioned. He became a IOO (ATO Nowdays) and served at Bramley, Singapore and Nescliffe. He left the army in 1955/6 and worked for ICI clearing ammo from the former 9BAD in the Canal Zone. When this finished he took up farming in Wales for a time. When this became uneconomic he formed his own company clearing wartime mines in Lybia for oil exploration employing mainly ex soldiers. He died peacefully in a nursing home in Dartford on 23rd Sept . He is survived by a son and two daughters and many grand and great grand children. The funeral will be at the Medway Crematorium on 5th Oct. Obit wil be in Telegraph 1st Oct. Regarding my father. Prewar RAOC RD staff came from outside the Corps. By tradition the RSM always came from the Grenadier Gds. He served with them beginning in 1st war winning MM. He tranferred in 1932 at Hilsea and was commisioned in 1938 (when I was born). He served in many RAOC depots in the UK retiring in 1951and took over a pub!
Any details, memories or photographs that you may have would be most welcome.