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Photograph 1: Studio portrait photograph of Captain Bennett in uniform with WWII medal ribbons. No date but post 1945.
Photograph 2: View of HMS Queen Elizabeth (1913), Fleet Flagship Mediterranean, off Alexandria flying Standard of Farouk of Egypt, 1936.

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Photograph 3: Group photograph of Rear Admiral G F B Edward-Collins (Chief of Staff), Admiral Sir Dudley Pound (Commander-in-Chief), Captain R J R Scott and Flag Lieutenant D Duff standing on the deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth (1913), 1936. All are wearing summer uniform and black armbands for the death of King George V.

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Ephemera 1: Printed sheet entitled, ‘Secret. Daily State of Mediterranean Fleet, 7th July 1936’. Caption: ‘Mediterranean Fleet – 1936. Italo-Abyssinian War’.

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Photograph 4: View of formation of 4 Hawker Osprey Mk III biplanes flying over Alexandria, 1936.
Aeroplane markings as follows: K3642-067 –HMS Glorious (1916), K4324- HMS Devonshire (1927), K33647-082, HMS Ajax (1934) and K4322-079, HMS Glorious (1916).

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Photographs 5 & 6: Two views of Alexandria, 1936.
Photograph 7 (loose): Distant view of ships in harbour at Alexandria (contact sheet).

Page 6: Title: ‘HMS Barham (1914) – 1936. The Meeting of the League of Nations’ [Amateur Dramatics]’.
Photograph 8: ‘Emperor of Abyssinia’. Lt Cdr E H P Slessor dressed up as Haile Selassie.
Photograph 9: ‘Anthony Eden’. Commander Mansergh* dressed up as Anthony Eden (Foreign Secretary, 1935-8). *Two brothers served on HMS Barham in 1936 – Maurice James and Cecil Aubrey Lawson Mansergh.
Photograph 10: Officers of HMS Barham (1914) dressed up for spoof League of Nations meeting. Identified as:: Lt G M Bennett, Commander Mansergh, Captain H Hickling, Lt D A Williams, Lt Cdr A C G Ermen, Lt Cdr P N Churchill and Lt Cdr C W G M Woodhouse.

Page 7: Title: ‘Abyssinian War 1936’.
Photograph 11: Group photograph of Fleet Flagship Communication Staff identified as: Petty Officers Mountsfield, Parminter, Warren, Warrant Officer Pater, Petty Officers Upton and Collins, Warrant Telegraphist H Bolton, Lt G M Bennett, Commander J H F Crombie, Commander J P L Reid, Lt Cdr F H G Allen, Commissioned Signal Boatswain W D Manning.

Page 8: Title: ‘Athens – 1936’.
Photographs 12-15: Postcard prints of the Parthenon.
Photograph 16: Visit of HM King of Greece to HMS Queen Elizabeth (1913), 1936. View of arrival of the King and naval officers (saluting) on the deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth .

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Photograph 17: Visit of Sir Samuel Hoare, First Lord of the Admiralty to HMS Queen Elizabeth (1913), 1936. View of Admiral Sir Dudley Pound, Commander W G Agnew, Captain E L S King and other officers (unidentified) on the deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth (1913) –all wearing summer uniform.
Photograph 18: ‘The Spanish Civil War –Queen Elizabeth (1913) embarking refugees off Alicante, 1936’. View of civilians in ship’s boat being helped aboard Queen Elizabeth by sailors.
Photograph 19: View of the Castille at Malta, 1936.
Ephemera 2: Letter from two Turkish officers serving in the battle cruiser Yavuz (1911) to Lieutenant Bennett wishing him a happy Christmas, 1936.

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Ephemera 3: Programme for the play ‘Hyde Park Corner’ by Walter Hackett. Performed at the Royal Naval Barracks, Portsmouth by the Wardroom Officers (and wives including Rosemary Bennett) December 1937.

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Photograph 20: Commercial photograph of scene from (presumably) the play ‘Hyde Park Corner’. Performers are named and include ‘Bud’, 1937.

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Photograph 21: Commercial photograph of scene from a play. Performers include ‘Bud’ca.1937.

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Photograph 22: Commercial photograph of curtain call of play. Performers all identified including ‘Bud’, 1937.

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Ephemera 4: Newspaper cutting – obituary of Edgar J Bechervaise, August 1938 (Bennett’s father-in-law).
Photograph 23: View of Lieutenant Bennett picnicking near Invergordon with CS2, Brown, Mr and Mrs Wise, October 1938.

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Photograph 24: View of HMS Glasgow (1936) underway at sea firing guns, October 1938.
Photograph 25: ‘The Crisis – September 1938. The Fleet sails from Invergordon for an unknown destination’.

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Photograph 26: View of Second Cruiser Squadron underway, 1938.

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Photograph 27: Aerial view of HMS Southampton (1936), HMS Sheffield (1936), HMS Newcastle (1936) and HMS Glasgow (1936) at anchor, Gibraltar 1939. Dock yard buildings in the foreground.

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Photograph 28: Probably Rear Admiral G F B Edward-Collins (HMS Southampton) meeting with Portuguese Minister of Marine, 1939 Lieutenant Bennett standing to the right of the group.

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Photograph 29: Probably Rear Admiral G F B Edward-Collins (HMS Southampton) at War Memorial, Lisbon with British and Portuguese naval officers, 1939.

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Photographs 30-32: SS Empress of Australia (1924) and HMS Southampton (1936) and HMS Glasgow (1936) en route to Quebec. Royal Cruise, 1939.

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Photograph 33: View of SS Empress of Australia (1924) and escort arriving at Quebec, Royal Cruise 1939.

Page 22: Title: ‘Royal Cruise -1939’.
Photograph 34: View of New York from the water.
Photograph 35: Commercial photograph. View of the statuary, Constitution Mall, New York World Fair 1939.
Photograph 36: Commercial photograph. View of the Perisphere, New York World Fair, 1939.

Page 23: Title: ‘Royal Cruise -1939’.
Photograph 37: Aerial view of HMS Southampton (1936) berthed near to USS Constitution (1797) at the Navy Yard, Boston, 1939.


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Ephemera 5: Newspaper cutting from the Boston Post 5th June 1939 entitled ‘Visitors On Board’. Cartoon sketches of visitors on board HMS Southampton (1936) during her visit to the Navy Yard, Boston.
Ephemera 6: Menu for a lunch on board the Empress of Britain (1931) at Halifax, Nova Scotia 14th June 1939 (during Royal Cruise).

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Ephemera 7&8: Table seating plan, list of guests and menu for a luncheon given for George VI and Queen Elizabeth at the Nova Scotian Hotel, Halifax 15th June 1939.

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Photographs 38-41: Views of the squadron in the ice en route to Quebec, Royal cruise 1939.

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Photographs 42-46: Commercial photographs. View of the New York World Fair, 1939.

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Ephemera 9: Card produced by HMS Southampton (1936) to commemorate the Royal Cruise of 1939. A photograph of Southampton is pasted on the front of the card and inside is a photograph of
the Royal Family on the deck of Southampton, 1939.

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Photograph 47: ‘George and Bea, New York 1939’. View of an American naval officer and lady.
Photograph 48: View of Admiralty House at Freetown, 1940-42.
Photograph 49: View of Bennett holding hands with a monkey, Freetown 1940-42.
Photograph 50: View of Bennett (in summer uniform) posing for the camera, Freetown 1940-42.
Photograph 51: Lieutenant Commander Wareham posing for the camera, Freetown1940-42.
Photograph 52: African woman and child, Freetown 1940-42.

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Photographs 53-56: Views of the Freetown wireless telegraph station under construction, ca.1940-42.

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Photographs 57-60: View of Cambridge. Commercial photographs – no date.
Photograph 61: Group photograph of naval officers in summer uniform at Freetown, 1940-42. Identified as: Bennett, Commodore A J Egerton, Admiral ??, Captain H B Ellison, Lieutenant Commander Wareham.

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Photograph 62: King George VI with a group of officers from HM Signal School, 1942. Identified as: Commander C F W St Quintin, Rear Admiral C S Holland, ?Commander J B Bruce, Commander G Willoughby, Commander J R B Longden, Elliot and Bennett (not G M).

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Photograph 63: Vice Admiral A U Willis, General Dwight Eisenhower and Admiral A B Cunningham standing on the deck of HMS Nelson (1925), 1943.
Photograph 64: Captain G H R Russell, Lord Gort and Vice Admiral A U Willis standing on the deck of HMS Nelson (1925) at Malta, 1943.

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Photograph 65: Vivien Leigh, the actress, entertaining the crew of HMS Nelson (1925) at Gibraltar, 1943.
Photograph 66: Beatrice Lillee entertaining the crew of HMS Nelson (1925) at Gibraltar, 1943.
Photograph 67: Vivien Leigh, Beatrice Lillee, Dorothy Dickson and Leslie Henson entertaining crew of HMS Nelson (1925) at Gibraltar.

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Photographs 68-70: Views of the Italian fleet off Malta after its surrender in September 1943.

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Photograph 71: Officers of HMS Nelson (1926) preparing to greet Admiral da Zara on board HMS Nelson (1926) after the surrender of the Italian fleet, 1943.
Photograph 72: Vice Admiral Willis shaking hands with Admiral da Zara on board HMS Nelson (1926 after the surrender of the Italian fleet, 1943.
Photographs 73-74: Views of bomb damage at Malta, 1943.

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Ephemera 10: Telegram from Commander in Chief Mediterranean to Admiralty 12th September 1943 informing their Lordships that the Italian Battle Fleet lay at anchor at Malta.

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Photograph 75: General Eisenhower, Vice Admiral Willis, Air Chief Marshall Sir Arthur Tedder and General Sir Harold Alexander arriving on board HMS Nelson (1926) at Malta to meet Marshall Badoglio after Italian surrender, September 1943.
Photograph 76: View of Marshall Badoglio arriving on board HMS Nelson (1926 at Malta, 1943.
Photograph 77: View of Marshall Badoglio inspecting Royal Marines on board HMS Nelson (1926) accompanied by Lord Gort, Air Chief Marshall Tedder, General Eisenhower, General Sir Harold Alexander, Admiral Cunningham and General Mason-Macfarlane.

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Photographs 78-80: Views of Bennett on a beach at Alexandria with friends, 1944.

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Photograph 81: Group photograph of Admiral Willis and naval communications staff at Alexandria, 1944.

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Ephemera 11: Typed list of names of personnel in photograph 81 including Lt Commander Bennett.

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Photograph 82: Group photograph of naval communications staff at Alexandria, 1944 including Lt Commander Bennett.
Ephemera 12: Typed list of names of personnel in photograph 82.

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Photograph 83: View of Signal Training Centre at Alexandria, 1944.

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Photograph 84: View of Signal Training Centre at Alexandria with sailors in the foreground signalling with flags, 1944.

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Ephemera 13: Newspaper cutting reporting naval awards for operations in the Mediterranean including citation for Bennett’s Distinguished Service Cross, (no date).
Photograph 85: View of HMS Newfoundland (1941) at sea, 1947.
Photograph 86: View of HMS Ajax (1934) at sea, 1947.

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Photograph 87: View of Commander Bennett at wedding with ‘Bud’, 1947.
Photograph 88: View of Commander Bennett on board HMS Ajax (1934), 1947.

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Photograph 89: HMS St Bride’s Bay (1945) at Malta, 1948.

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Photograph 90: Visit of the Emir of Lith (Saudi Arabia) to HMS St Bride’s Bay (1945), 1948. View of the Emir negotiating a steep ladder on board the ship.
Photograph 91: The Emir of Lith on board HMS St Bride’s Bay (1945) with officers, 1948.
Photograph 92: Commander Bennett with the Emir of Lith ashore with, naval officers and Arabs in attendance, 1948.

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Photographs 93-100: Views of Eritrea, 1948.

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Photograph 101: HMS St Bride’s Bay (1945) at Venice, 1948.

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Photograph 102: View of the Gondola Regatta at Venice, September 1948.

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Photograph 103: Distant view of HMS St Bride’s Bay (1945), 1948.
Photograph 104: Commander Bennett and Mrs E Davies, Venice 1948.
Photographs 105-108: Views of officers, crew and visitors on board HMS St Bride’s Bay (1945), 1948.

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Photographs 109-113: Views of Washington D.C.,1949. Commercial photographs.

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Photographs 114-122: Views of Hollywood, 1949. Commercial photographs.


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Photographs 123-129: Views of San Francisco, 1949. Commercial photographs.

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Photograph 130: Studio signed portrait photograph of Jacqueline Roberta Huby, 1947. Actress.

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Photographs 131-136: View of the palace of Fontainbleau, 1950.

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Ephemera 14: Newspaper cutting (no date) reporting on the appointment of Captain Bennett to be Naval Attache, Moscow ca.1953.
Photograph 137: Captain Bennett wearing full dress uniform, medals and aiguillettes with ?Polish sailors, ca.1953. Bennett served as naval attaché to Moscow, Warsaw and Helsinki from 1953-55.

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Ephemera 15: Home made programme: ‘The Embassy Follies present “You Lucky Dips” an entertainment devised by Geoffrey Bennett’ performed at the White Room Theatre, British Embassy ca 1953-1955.

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Ephemera 16: Finnish newspaper cutting. Photograph of Captain Bennett with Sir Michael Creswell, Ambassador to Finland, Admiral Sir Michael Denny and Finnish officers, ca.1954.

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Photograph 138: Captain Bennett posing in the uniform of a City Marshall, ca.1958.

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Photograph 139: Group photograph of a Jubilee Reunion Dinner 17th January 1973 for the Royal Naval College Dartmouth, Exmouth Term, 1923-26. Includes Captain Bennett.

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Ephemera 17: Typed list of attendees in photograph 139.