Ernest was born on 13 May 1894 in Reading, Berkshire, with a Birth Registration certificate that shows Alice Bennett, domestic servant as Mother. The entry in the “Name and Surname of Father” column had Charles Parker Bennett but this has been officially deleted by the Registrar. In the “Name and Maiden Surname of Mother” column this has been  officially changed from “Alice Parker Bennett formerly Bennett” to read “Alice Bennett” a cook (Domestic Servant). There is no information on Ernest or his Mother in the 1901 Census or any other officially recorded sources until Ernest joins the Royal Navy in 1910. After he died in 1915 there is more confusion as the Next of Kin on the ADM104 series “Death Registers” is “Mother”, Mrs Bennett of Gran Villa, Epworth Rd, Copner, Portsmouth.. Then the CWGC “Family Verification Form” was returned with Adopted Son of William Thomas Parker and Eliza Ann Parker of 239, Mitcham Lane, Streatham, London. In November 1915, the “Probate Death Index” in Winchester, Hampshire, has Eliza Ann as the linked person.?

Ernest Granville Bennett joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Second Class on the 28 January 1910 when he walked through the gates of HMS GANGES, the boy training establishment at Shotley, Suffolk, with an “Occupation” written into his service documents as “T/S WARSPITE” the boy training ship anchored in Woolwich, Kent. On 22 August 1910 he was advanced to Bot First Class and then drafted on 13 January 1911 to HMS VICTORY 1 for one week before joining the battleship HMS JUPITER for 1 month, and on 16 February 1911 transferring to the heavy cruiser HMS GOOD HOPE.  Fourteen months later on 13 May 1912 he was advanced to Ordinary Signalman with a draft back to VICTORY 1 on 23 December 1912. On 22 January 1913 he was advanced to Signalman and later in 1913 volunteered to serve in submarines with a draft across Portsmouth harbour to HMS DOLPHIN on 9 October 1913 for the Submariners Training course. On 17 September 1914 he received a draft to the submarine depot ship HMS ARROGANT moored in Dover Harbour to serve on HMS C33.

In early August 1915 C33 had been working with the fishing trawler MALTA in the North Sea to the East of Great Yarmouth with the trawler being used as bait to entice U-Boats to surface and attack with gunfire and C33 below the surface ready to fire her torpedoes. On 4 August the operation was completed and at 2030 the two vessels separated to return to their own home ports. C33 turned to the South West for Harwich and has never been seen or heard from again, although it is a possibility she struck a mine. Her resting place has never been found to give any clues to cause of disappearance.

Signalman Ernest Granville BENNETT with Svc No. J7122, aged 21,  had “Crossed The Bar” with the rest  of his 16 fellow crew members.