Benjamin Ruston was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire on 21 January 1910, the son of Charles Henry Rushton and Edith Louisa Ruston (née Graysmark). He joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Second Class at HMS GANGES on 29 April 1926. After basic training he served in the battleships HMS MARLBOROUGH, HMS REVENGE and HMS RENOWN from 30 April 1926 to 16 September 1928. Benjamin next served in the cruiser HMS DESPATCH from 7 November 1928 to 11 June 1931 and then in the Submarine Tender HMS ROSS. After qualifying as a Seaman Torpedoman, he was drafted to the cruiser HMS CRUSADER from 2 May 1932 to 11 January 1934. He next served in the destroyers HMS WHITSHED, HMS DAINTY and HMS DELIGHT from 22 February 1934 to 11 December 1935.

Benjamin volunteered for service in submarines on 15 March 1936 and joined HMS DOLPHIN for the Submarine Course on 2 July 1936. His first submarine draft was HMS L23 from 8 February 1937 to 1 July 1938. He was then drafted to HMS ROVER on 23 September 1938. After the outbreak of WWII, ROVER conducted three war patrols in the Far East. On 1 January 1940 Benjamin was transferred to HMS REGENT. Then, on 1 January 1941, Leading Seaman Ruston joined HMS PARTHIAN, which he was onboard for four war patrols. He left PARTHIAN on 30 June 1941 and joined HMS TAKU on 12 August 1941, until 17 October 1941.

He was later promoted to Petty Officer and was drafted to HMS TROOPER. TROOPER left the Submarine Base at Beirut on 28 September 1943 for a patrol, including a special operation off the west of the Dodecanese Islands. TROOPER failed to arrive back at Beirut as expected on 17 October and was assumed to have been lost with all hands – probably sunk after detonating a mine on, or about 10 Oct 1943.

Benjamin (Tubby) Ruston was the husband of Annie Louisa Victoria Ruston and the father of Sandra Ruston. In the 1950s Annie Ruston was remarried to a Mr Tunnicliffe.

A holder of the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, Benjamin Ruston was awarded a Mention in Dispatches– see London Gazette dated 16 July 1943 ‘for successful patrols in HM Submarines’ and was also awarded the Distinguished Service Medal ‘for outstanding bravery and skill in successful patrols in HM Submarines’– see Supplement to the London Gazette dated 19 October 1943 and he is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Panel 73, Column 3.